FPU/Light Table

[Stinkhorn Press]

what kind of light is best inside a FPU table for registering film to unexposed screens that won't be exposing the emulsion while you do it?

[sqslabs]

what kind of light is best inside a FPU table for registering film to unexposed screens that won't be exposing the emulsion while you do it?

We use a standard light table, but have never needed to turn the light on in order to see the measurements clearly through the emulsion (Aquasol HVP).  Pic attached of our setup, which is for the Newman Pin system.

[Inkworks]

Ditto, except our standard emulsion is fine with a minute or two of light.

[Stinkhorn Press]

since LEDs are easy to get now, what range of output (wavelength) would I want to be looking for to NOT cause exposure?

(i could also just stick a ceramic socket back there and just stock bug lights too...)

[Nation03]

I imagine you can always tape red film over the light table to make it more light safe. Or use yellow bulbs.

[Stinkhorn Press]

what kind of light is best inside a FPU table for registering film to unexposed screens that won't be exposing the emulsion while you do it?

We use a standard light table, but have never needed to turn the light on in order to see the measurements clearly through the emulsion (Aquasol HVP).  Pic attached of our setup, which is for the Newman Pin system.

hadn't really thought of that, NOT having lights behind. at that point tho- your light box is simply a white, flat surface to see. (so that's what I did, just basically built a little platen, painted it white, put a sheet of platen tape on it so we can draw all over it for now - if that doesn't work I'll just delete it and go find a way to light it)

anyone have good ideas for cheaply getting right sized glass or acrylic or nice clearish plastic that's thick enough to stay flat?

[sqslabs]

hadn't really thought of that, NOT having lights behind. at that point tho- your light box is simply a white, flat surface to see. (so that's what I did, just basically built a little platen, painted it white, put a sheet of platen tape on it so we can draw all over it for now - if that doesn't work I'll just delete it and go find a way to light it)

anyone have good ideas for cheaply getting right sized glass or acrylic or nice clearish plastic that's thick enough to stay flat?

Any glass place should be able to get you what you need for fairly cheap, but I'd recommend sticking with acrylic due to the breakage factor.  Not sure where to get that besides hardware or craft stores, but whatever you get, remember to countersink the screws so they don't push into the mesh.

[Stinkhorn Press]

FPU in production cycle now.

tried it without the backlight for a week. no go. put in the lightbox part today. so much better.

2 questions:
1 Alan has pointed out that you need to have the screen sitting in the FPU at the same "height" it will sit in your on-press jig, so the same POINTS are touching (so with the inverted Tri-Loc here, raising the Tri-Loc off my "table" the same distance the screen floats above the tri-loc platen).
i'm not sure that's necessary for static frames which are all we use.  (i'm not really understanding why that would even be true for shur-locs or newmans either)

2 it's TIGHT fitting a screen in the upside down jig. we clamp the bottom spring out of the way, but it's still TIGHT. any pointers? or just taking the time to learn how to finesse it in smoothly?