A desktop 16mm contact printer made for CNC/laser cutting and 3D printing
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README.md

contact printer

A desktop 16mm contact printer and film transport platform made using 3D printing and aluminum extrusion.


contact printer render


NOTE: This is a work in progress. Build instructions and whitepaper to follow.

This contact printer is designed to make 16mm prints using affordable electronics and 3D printing. It is not intended as a replacement for professional printers like the Bell & Howell Model C. This project is for DIY filmmakers, independent artists and small film labs to have a machine that can produce reasonable-quality work prints with a small footprint on short lengths of film easily.

This is intended to be a modular printer. As of now there is only a single lamp design that uses standard white 5mm LEDs.

Examples

Contact the first print made on the prototype during a residency at Filmwerkplaats. Soundtrack applied by the opt_snd soundtrack recorder system by Hrvoje Spudić.

Print Counts

Here is a table of all the parts and how many of them to print to make a single contact printer.

Part Print Count Download
daylight spool insert reinforced nut 4 STL
slip coupling 4 STL
magnetic coupling 2 STL
knob 14 STL
lamp LEDs 1 STL
sprocketed roller invert solid 1 STL
corner foot 8 STL
feed panel motor mount 2 STL
feed panel stock 1 STL
feed panel picture 1 STL
takeup panel stock motor mount 1 STL
takeup panel stock 1 STL
takeup panel picture motor mount 1 STL
takeup panel picture 1 STL
panel 1 STL
lamp cover 1 STL
lamp single 1 STL
picture gate sound 1 STL
picture gate super16 1 STL
picture gate full 1 STL
picture gate standard 1 STL
gate carrier 1 STL
idle roller b 4 STL
idle roller half a 4 STL

Bill of Materials

Below are estimates based on per-unit costs found online. Actual price of a full build may be higher.

Part Qty Cost (USD) Minumum
M4 hex nut 20 $0.67 300 for $9.99
M4 hex bolt 50mm 4 $2.68 10 for $6.69
M4 hex bolt 35mm 6 $3.72 10 for $6.19
M4 hex bolt 25mm 10 $1.84 50 for $9.19
M3 sliding t slot nut 72 $4.11 105 for $5.99
M3 hex cap bolt 8mm 80 $7.20 100 for $8.99
M3 hex cap bolt 6mm 8 $0.59 100 for $7.26
M3 hex cap bolt 12mm 1 $0.09 100 for $8.36
L298N Motor driver module 1 $2.88 4 for $11.49
ESP32 GPIO breakout board 1 $6.00 2 for $11.99
ESP32 Dev board 1 $6.67 3 for $19.99
608-RS Ball Bearing 1 $0.18 100 for $17.79
5mm White LED 6 $0.36 100 for $5.99
250RPM DC geared motor 2 $29.98 1 for $14.99
220 Ohm Resistor 6 $0.36 100 for $5.99
2020 Aluminum extrusion mm 1880 $11.41 12200 for $73.99
100RPM DC geared motor with encoder 1 $16.19 1 for $16.19
--------- ------ -------- ---------
TOTAL 2100 $94.93 $241.07

Acknowledgements

Developed with support from Filmwerkplaats at WORM and SPECTRAL. Read the report from the residency provided by Filmwerkplaats. Report as PDF.

Special thanks to Esther Urlus, Hrvoje Spudić and Nan Wang.

Magnetic clutch design inspired by Clyde Shaffer's Shaffer Linear Processor.


Project Home: git.sixteenmillimeter.com/16mm/contact_printer

Github Mirror: github.com/sixteenmillimeter/contact_printer