DIY Flash Gels
Friday, December 12th, 2008 | Author: admin
This is a simple guide on creating DIY Flash Gel kit, you’ll need a laser transparency sheet and access to a color laser printer. I’m not sure how accurate they are, but they do change the color of the shot. I figure I’ll try this instead of spending $25 on ebay.
Hear are the PDF templates
This how the document looks, It contains CTO, CTB and Window Green on a single sheet. I want to thank Richard from www.urban-exploring.com for the Gel Scans I used to get the color.
I used a old pack of Transparency Film that I had laying around.
Here’s the sheet after printing it!
These are the strips once separated, I placed a strip of packing tape in the center on each strip on the printed side to prevent it from rubbing off. I then cut them to size and added some Velcro dots.
This is how they looked once 100% done
CHECK THIS: MAKING TEXTURED BACKGROUNDS WITH GELS
Here are some sample shots:
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Great post, i had no idea it was that easy to make gels. Brilliant i will try this out right now!
Out of curiosity have you tried this with an inkjet?… or know why the laser is preferred? I’m guessing smear factor.
thanks
I haven’t tried an inkjet but I believe that a laser prints might be better lightfast and more durable. Ink seems to fade faster. Let me know the results if you try it.
Thanks
How exactly did you took colors from scan to corel i presume… can you tell me… i would like to make sheet with full cto: 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 and ctb and ctg….
Dracula:
Yes they gels were scanned.
To make full sized pages you can:
Using PhotoShop; make a new sheet 8.5×11 and using the color picker pick the color from the PDF or even the image on this blog and paint the new image.
Using Word; do a print-screen of either the PDF or the top of this page and paste it on the word document. You then can crop the pasted image to the color you need. Last step is to enlarge the cropped image by using the grips… it doesn’t matter it you distort the image since its a solid color.
Peace!
These are great! Thank you, very much for posting this.
So great , thx u in advance.
WOW, this is an AWESOME idea! Thanks!
This is great… I have been looking for a inexpensive way to make or buy gels for a week or so…
this in one of those things, that now I see it. I think…. why didnt I think of that.
Awesome idea!!!
I’ll definitely put it to test!!!
These DIY gels will come in handy in my next school theatre production. Many thanks!
Funny thing is that I was just checking my office’s storage room and saw a whole bunch of transparency sheets lying around in a box. I was practically thinking the same thing, including creating a holder out of the clear plastic to put the filters just in front of the flash head. One thing you got to remember is that if you’re printing any transparancy on a Laser Printer, that you use ones designed for them. Using the old overhead projector sheets or Inkjet transparency may cause the printer to jam and possibly damage it. These sheets are not rated to take the heat from the LaserJet fuser assembly. Trust me, I know from experience. And no.. it wasn’t me who jammed it up. I’m the techie who got the stuck with unjamming and cleaning the mess.
One thing you got to remember is that if you’re printing any transparancy on a Laser Printer, that you use ones designed for them. Using the old overhead projector sheets or Inkjet transparency may cause the printer to jam and possibly damage it.