State Partnership Program

Video by Staff Sgt. Valentina Viglianco

How to use Film Processing Center's Printers

9th Intelligence Squadron

July 27, 2020 | 3:58

9th Intelligence Squadron aerial imagery production technicians use Niagara Printers to create duplicates from the U-2 Dragon Lady optical bar camera's original negative film at the Film Processing Center at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. This video was created to help train technicians on how to use the printers.

SCRIPT: Hi, I’m Staff Sgt. Douglas Lorance. I am an aerial imagery production technician for the 9th Intelligence Squadron and today we are going to be discussing the printing process. The printing takes place at the Film Processing Center here at Beale Air Force Base. It is a component of the Edit Section, which is one of three sections we have separated our facility into.

So the printing process is how we get our duplicates from our original negative film. The duplicate is what is ultimately sent forward to the intel specialists. Personally, printing is one of the more fascinating parts of the Edit Section to me because you can actually watch the light trace the new imagery onto the old imagery. You are basically watching history happen in real time.

Turn on the printer using the switch on the right. The screen will turn on. Then wait a couple of seconds for the screen to load. Once the 9th Intelligence Squadron logo comes up, tap the screen. Tap the button that says "lamp" to turn the lamp on. Wait roughly one hour for the printer to warm up.

Grab a can of original negative film from the edit van. Quality assurance will normally drop off the developed film here so that the person printing knows it’s ready to be printed.

Please note that the rest of the steps will need to be done in red light conditions, but for the training purposes of this video, we will leave the lights on.

Run the original negative film through the Stickney cleaning machine. The Stickney takes any dust off the film and ensures a better image being printed. Place the original negative film on the bottom and lock in place. Then thread the film between the two sticky rollers and under an orange roller on the top. Wrap the film on an empty reel and tighten. If you get lost in the threading process, there is a diagram on the machine. Once you have ensured proper threading, slightly grip the handle to lower one of the sticky rollers and press the green button to turn on the Stickney.

Once the original negative film has run through the Stickney, take the film over to the printer. Lock the original negative roll on the top. Then you will tread the film through the rollers to the other side. Wrap the film onto an empty reel and tighten.

Grab your rawstock of unexposed duplicated film and place it onto the bottom. Then thread the film through the rollers and wrap around an empty reel. Tighten the film.

If you are unsure about how to thread the film, there is a threading diagram on the printer.

Once both the original negative and duplicate film is threaded, you will lower your lamp house. You will also engage the miniature sticky roller on the bottom.

Set the printer according to the settings provided by the Quality Assurance Section. Each part will have a unique setting and you can find them on laminated print cards and printer setting forms.

Check the tracking by using the red safelight button located on the bottom of the lamphouse.

Once the settings and threading are all good, then press the green button to start printing.

Upon completion of printing, raise the lamphouse.

Remove printed duplicate film and place it in a sealed film can. Attach the print card on top of the lid.

Fill out your info on the print card. This will include your initials and what printer was used.

Take the can to the edit van and place it in an area where duplicate processing operators pick up the cans that need to be processed.

That is it for the printing process so this concludes the printing tutorial. Congratulations on completing this training video and good luck in your future printing operations.