Argyrotypes
Dear Alt Photo List, Today I received two Argyrotype prints from an individual as part of an alternative print exchange organized through APUG.COM. The prints were made on a paper identified as Fabriano 5 (which I am not familiar with and are the first Argyrotypes I've ever seen. These two prints had such delicate tonality that I am compelled to try the process. These two brown tone prints have a color and gradation that I have never seen matched with the Van Dyke Brown process, toned or untoned. I am very impressed with the prints. Does anyone know if Fabriano 5 is marketed in the US? Perhaps by another name? Thanks, Don Bryant -----Original Message----- From: Venkatram Iyer [mailto:eyeear@telus.net] Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2006 12:42 PM To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca Subject: Re: Some Kallitype observations Sandy, The KOX I use is the mono-potassium salt, so the solution is acidic. Rajul On 22-Nov-06, at 6:18 AM, Sandy King wrote: > > Hi Venakatram, > > Thanks for sharing these results. A few questions. > > 1. How are you gelatin sizing in terms of percentage solution and > method of sizing? > > 2. What is your clearing agent, method, and time. > > 3. Are you mixing the potassium oxalate from oxalic acid and potassium > carbonate or buying it already mixed? If the former, what is your > mixing procedure and at what pH do you maintain the solution? > > Sandy King > > > > > > > > > At 3:31 PM -0800 11/21/06, Venkatram Iyer wrote: >> Hello All, >> >> I would like to share some recent observations using the Kallitype >> procedure. >> >> Papers: Stonehenge B side (STHG-B) prints better than the other side. >> Sidedness was >> determined by sxs comparison of marked sides. >> Arches Platine (AP 310 gsm) needs less expo than STHG-B, & >> yields richer, more lustrous tones than STHG-B >> Graphix Vellum48 shows greater detail than AP >> Gelatin-sized, formaldehyde-hardened AP and STHG-B produce >> sharper prints with >> cleaner highlights than unsized controls. >> Unsized paper produces delicate softer prints with subtler >> colors. >> >> Graphix Vellum 48: >> - pre-coat with oxalic acid >> - use 2 coats of emulsion >> - exposure will not produce a visible image. So pre-establish >> exposure w steptab >> - Pd toner >> cool browns; Au toner >> cool B/W >> >> AP or STHG-B: >> - do not need an oxalic acid pre-coat >> - one thin coat works well; Dry it, equilibrate paper to room >> conditions, then expose. >> >> Emulsion: >> - a 6:4 AgNO3:FO mix works better IME than the 5:5 >> - additives (Au, Pd or Pt) block up shads; this may be corrected by >> decreasing exposure >> - Steptab prints indicate that tonal separations are cleaner when >> additives are omitted. >> >> Exposure: Optimum exposure is reached when shadows print a >> medium-dark ochre. >> >> Developer: >> - 4% KOX develops the print slowly to a cool brown after 5' of >> development. There was >> no observable bronzing. >> - With increasing concentration ( 5, 10 and 20% KOX), development is >> rapid and proceeds to B/W, bronzing occurs in shadows, and prints >> are muddier. >> >> Toner effects depend on: >> - the presence of additive in the emulsion >> - sizing of paper >> - possibly local factors (water composition, temperature, humidity, >> etc) >> - selenium toning (cheap toner!) of sized AP coated with the 6:4 mix >> printed in cool browns, and showed good detail across tonal range. >> >> I have found Sandy King's and Carmen Lizardo's Kallitype publications >> very helpful. >> >> Please feel free to comment/confirm/complement the above. >> >> Rajul >
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