Contact printers
Introduction on the (continuous) contact printer at Filmwerkplaats
We have 3 Bell & Howell contact printers
B&H model C
In Big Room 2 we have our model C with variable gate. This particular printer is originally designed to make direct reversal prints from positive film. Filmwerkplaats bought this printer around 2003-4 through internet. It comes from a small company in Boston USA that made copies of instruction and promotion films on cars and fishing. When they went to all VHS video, the printer became redundant. The Filmwerkplaats bought this printer than for 3000 dollars and payed 1000 for crating the printer and shipment by container ship and delivering it at our place at the Achterhaven, Rotterdam. It came with the original paper tape controller and puncher + the technical manual.
B&H model C professional
Small room B shelters our B&H model C professional. This printer comes from an auction place in Atlanta, Georgia USA. Its unknown what lab it originally comes from and it had a little risk to buy this one as it wasn't know if it was in working condition or complete. With the 'professional' model sound and image can be printed in one run through separated tracks. Meaning that an image negative and optical sound negative have their own run through at once while printing to a positive print. This model doesn't has a variable gate.