U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | RE: How many gum layers (Re: ferri sesquichlorati)

RE: How many gum layers (Re: ferri sesquichlorati)



Mark,
 
Why my interest in curves?  I just gave my first first gum workshop in Istanbul (actually Loris gave it - I was just there helping him to figure out what to say..) But the workshop went well, and the joy on the participants faces when they made their first gum prints was quite rewarding.  Infectious, really.  I may wish to do more workshops in the future, and so I'm open to methods that don't rely so heavily upon power washers, air grinders, belt sanders, etc.   And let's face it:  I have to know curves because a certain clever person I know has made their proprietary curve-making process a fixture that no alt-process can do without.   So call it keeping up with the times!   But the fact is, my lith neg approach would have been too complicated for the workshop, so we used straight non-curved baby-oiled inkjet on plain-paper negs.  They worked pretty good, but there clearly was room for improvement if one were looking for single-coat gums. 
 
But back to being a maverick, because knowing how to use curves and being able to afford using them are two different things.   I just learned this morning that it costs $1-2 per square foot for ink on the 7600 that I have my eye on.  Say WHAT?  That is expensive, given I like big prints.
 
I've been out of the inkjet circuit for years.  I have no need for archival inks.  For that matter, I have no need for even GOOD ink.  Other than rendering a printer useless for anything else, is there any reason I couldn't get one of those continuous-feed systems and dump in India ink or Sumi ink or something else?  I'm serious.  I just want to print cheap ink onto cheap paper for the purpose of making cheap gum prints.  The negative doesn't have to last more than a day or so.  In fact, I'd prefer if it didn't last!  Are there any cheap maverick-consistent alternatives that you can think of employing? 
 
Keith
 
I don't suppose.... no...
 
OK, what if one were to just load the printer up with gum emulsion?  Any chance that would work?  Run some paper thru the printer and throw it under the sun?  Forget the whole negative entirely?  hehehehe
 
 
 
 -----Original Message-----
From: Ender100@aol.com [mailto:Ender100@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 11:11 AM
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: Re: How many gum layers (Re: ferri sesquichlorati)

Hi Keith, 

But then you always  were a maverick and enjoy being so! hehehehehe

So, what has you curious about this curve thingy?

By the way, I just bought one of those new high pressure powerwashers, and I am hoping it is strong enough to use with PT/PD, so I can stop worrying about curves... in fact I think I can just coat the  paper and expose it without ANY negative and just power spray away the PT/PD until I get an image hehehehe

Best Wishes,
Mark Nelson

Precision Digital Negatives - The System
PDNPrint Forum at Yahoo Groups
www.MarkINelsonPhoto.com


In a message dated 10/25/06 9:29:33 AM, Keith@GumPhoto.com writes:



Well, Mark, that is exactly my approach and it does seem to work.  However, having been challenged by recent workshop participants as to why NOT use a curve of some kind I admit that I have been fiddling around with curves lately and have found that the curve that works best for me is a straight line, i.e., no curve at all.  So I'm curious.  Are there list members out there that DO use curves for gum printing?  Might one of them be persuaded to share their curve with me so that I can try it?  I'll figure out some way to repay a kind soul for this generosity.

 

Keith