Exposure calculator!!!

[emetique@mac.com]

Please Please Please

Is it anyway to find somewhere an exposure calculator... somewhere on the net... I guess I can just print it on a transparencie and it will do the job...

I've been looking for one, but no one want to ship to canada(ahahah) and cosmexgraphics... don't have it anymore, hmm

[phoondaddy]

I guess I can just print it on a transparencie and it will do the job...

Bingo.

Make sure you put solids and different %'s of halftones as well as different size stroke lines.

[IVARTON]

someone should make a generic file and upload it to the premium section

[fantasygoat]

The problem with making a generic one is that the good ones have specifically graded filters on them, representing various percentages of light reaching the emulsion. That's how you really determine your exposure time.

[phoondaddy]

Fantasygoat knows everything. From now on just PM him all questions.

[wezzburlesque]

a basic home made one with different size halftones and line will help learn what level of detail you can pull off and if you have good on contact, you'll be able to tell if you are exposing with too little light if the detail is falling out. too much light is harder to tell but it will mean you'll lose really thin lines as light is refracting around the film and getting under the black. But the real joints are nice that fantasy goat is talking about as they help dial it in more exactly. I'm using one right now actually. Without one, you stil gotta do a strip test.

[IVARTON]

Yeah i just printed some black to white gradients and differnt dot sizes and went

10 min
5 min
2.5 min
1:15 etc....

helped me figure out my exposure times are 2.5 to 3min

[emetique@mac.com]

I will do an home made...
and yes, someone should make a generic file

my time should be around 40sec (transparencies, UV light)... with a so short time, I guess that an exposure calculator shoud help me...

Do you know wich one exposure calculator is the best?
Autotype?
any preferences?

[Andymac]

Autotype works good, but is expensive ($80?)
Crosshair was talking about a cheaper one ($10-15?) he got, maybe from AWT? - there is a reference or two re this one in the forums.
Although they are nice, I think if you are armed with a good detailed OPAQUE film (get soemthing from an offset printer/digital service bureau) and a piece of ruby or black paper, a watch, and half a brain you can do a good job of figuring out. Especially with a fixed lamp distance.

I published a story in the SGIA tech journal called Exposure Road Test. I have a pdf of the story, and a pdf of the film you can print out. If someone can host both for me, we can put a link up to it. It's basically about the different results you get from using different types of film - photocopy, laser, inkjet, oyo, imagesetter, etc.

[loco]

wedge step test

like andymac was talking about, which I will be doing today at my shop

-loco