Date: 09/25/01-10:54:40 AM Z << Many texts on making unsharp
masks suggest placing a thin sheet of glass or sheet of clear
mylar between the original negative/transparency and the film
being exposed. You do not do this? >> They all achieve the same
purpose of blurring the mask one way or another. In the
description given (in the original email), the white acrylic
diffuses the light source so that it is no longer collimated.
The light shines in all direction. The original is oriented face
up (emulsion touching the glass), which means there is a
distance (which is the thickness of the base) between the
original image and the emulsion for the mask. The net effect is
the diffused light going through the image, then some distance
(though very small) before reaching the emulsion, thus blurring
the mask. In the texts that you mentioned, the blurring is
achieved by placing a diffusion sheet between the original and
the film for the mask. If you are using sheet film that doesn't
have anti-halation layer, you might hav