U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: multi coating gum question

Re: multi coating gum question



Chris, I did send an answer but I think it may have just gone to John, since his reply-to is set up to go to himself rather than to the list. I'll repeat it, since I believe information should be for everyone, even though I don't have much to add to what you said: it's just a matter of drying til the registration marks fit. Back in the days when I was in full production mode with tricolor gum, I could tell just by the feel of the paper when it was the right dry to register perfectly, but now I print with a different paper and tend to do more one-coat than multicoat gums, so I haven't developed that keen sense with the new paper. In my new house, I have a rack that fits into the clothes dryer and dries my paper (Arches bright white) in 5 minutes on "delicate." The main problem with that method is that I have a tendency to overdry and then need to dampen the paper to stretch it to fit, as you say.

By the way, congratulations on grand-babies; the name similarity is really quite amazing, like grace itself.
Katharine



On Sep 15, 2006, at 2:45 PM, Christina Z. Anderson wrote:

John,
No one answered this yet or else email is not coming through to me, but
anyway, a hair dryer is just fine with FAEW--it is a very dimensionally
stable paper and whether you dry the entire thing with a hair dryer or just
use the hair dryer as an added aid, it is fine.

Since I eyeball registration, it is easy to tell if the paper is dry enough
to fit to the next registration of a negative no matter how the drying is
carried out. I used to have to use the hair dryer down in SC because of the
humidity.

In MT my wet prints, hung to dry, dry in a matter of an hour or two. So I
can actually get a print done in a day, if I get on it first thing in the
morning. But registration marks around your negative, and the negative
border, show very well if the image is not shrunk/dry enough when put in
place. In that case what I do is tape the negative in the correct place,
turn the print over, and hair dry the back until the print fits the
negative. Of course, the front of the print needs to be dry to the touch so
that it does not wreck the neg.

Also, if my print has shrunk too much, I also use a wet sponge and gently
wet the back of the print with the negative in place as per above, and let
the print relax with the added moisture until it fits the negative.

Hair dryers and sponges are Godsends at times.
Chris

----- Original Message ----- From: "John Brewer" <john@johnbrewerphotography.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-L@usask.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2006 5:33 PM
Subject: multi coating gum question


Most of my gum pics have been made by multi coating and always I leave them
to dry naturally for 24 hours before recoating. Is it okay to speed the
drying process with a hair dryer? I'm just wondering about the paper, (FAEW
300gsm), distorting. I find I don't need to stretch this paper in my usual
usage, I just size then away I go.

Thanks

John.

www.johnbrewerphotography.com

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anaïs Nin.