"New" Paper for Pt/Pd (and other iron processes, too)
I have some good paper news, especially for current and former users of Cranes Platinotype (aka Cranes Crest Natural White Wove, Cranes Business Card Stock, Artificial Parchment, etc.) With the recent problems with the "Platinotype Black Plague", many are looking for other options. There is a "new" 50-year-old paper that found me recently. I got a call a few weeks ago from John Zokowski from Butler-Dearden Paper Co., a Crane's distributor offering samples of Byron-Weston's Diploma Parchment paper for me to test with pt/pd printing. (Byron-Weston is a subsidiary of Cranes.) This paper has been made for 50+ years and is used for diplomas and other formal documents. This paper is manufactured a bit on the acidic side, which is a good thing for pt/pd and other iron processes. No pretreatment is necessary. To make a long story short, this is the paper Platinotype should have been but never was (at least not for a long time.) It produces a rich black and a nice warm tone with pure palladium. It's a bit on the thin side at 177 gsm, so for large prints, in needs to be handled with care. It's also a bit on the yellow side for my taste, but a whiter version and thicker version are in the works. It seems to clear very easily and also seems to be relatively black-spot-free. Finally, where it really shines over Platinotype is that the surface remains nice and smooth after processing. It doesn't take on the fuzzy surface of processed Platinotype. And, to top it off, it is very reasonably priced. Go here http://www.crane.com/business/weston...palladium.aspx for info. Contact John Zokowski for pricing and to place an order. Happy printing! Kerik Kouklis www.kerik.com
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