RE: First Tricolor Gum (on aluminum)

[Loris Medici <mail@loris.medici.name>]

Thanks.

Yes I print the cyan layer first - but I still can't register by eye
because I use plain paper negatives not transparency material.

I'm just using an empirically designed curve. Will calibrate using
Mark's system later - when I'm more familiar with the process - I just
want to experiment as much as possible right now; can't bother myself
with trying to be as precise / consistent as possible. To me gum is
definitely not for the control freak...

Thanks for the aluminum flashing tip - will look for this material.
Since I plan to paint the bare aluminum borders for most of my images
(mostly white - but with some color in it, like an overmat / frame) to
prevent distraction, a pre-painted material won't do harm... But this
won't work for images where seeing the metal borders would be preferred.

Next project is:
To face-mount the images to plexiglass. (See
http://plexiphoto.com/engels/samples.html <- will do something like this
- think of it as in-house Diasec mounting. I'm still looking for
suitable materials and thinking on procedures...)

Best regards,
Loris.

-----Original Message-----
From: sam wang [mailto:stwang@bellsouth.net] 
Sent: 10 Aralık 2006 Pazar 22:56
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: Re: First Tricolor Gum (on aluminum)

Loris,

Congratulations on printing tricolor on aluminum!

A couple of observations:

- If you printed cyan, or blue, first, it would be very easy to register
by eye. The red layer may then be dominant, but if you are going to
apply a black, or anything dark at the end, the red/magenta cast would
be toned down.
- You would definitely need a curve specifically for the new surface.  
Even with paper, surface differences sometimes require different curves.
- We can buy aluminum flashing already coated with white paint on one
side. If it works, then you would not need to apply gesso and save a
little work.

Again, congratulations and I'll look forward to seeing what else you'll
do with it!

Sam

On Dec 10, 2006, at 11:43 AM, Loris Medici wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I just wanted to share my very first tricolor gum print (a test print
> actually) on aluminum (actually on any media). I just realized that I 
> set a too hard target for a beginner because:
> 1) Working with aluminum is not easy (have to put two coats of acrylic

> gesso + two coats of gelatine/CaCO3 mixture - a trick I learned from 
> Keith Gerling, tonal range and development is quite different from 
> what is it on paper),
> 2) Starting with tricolors instead of (more forgiving) multilayer 
> monochromes may not be the most logical route to take,
> 3) Aluminum is a stable support/media but this doesn't necessarily 
> mean that registration is easier and more successful - you have to use

> some kind of mechanical registration / you can't register by eye.
> 4) The whole process is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
>
> Anyway, the print is here: 
> http://www.loris.medici.name/Tricolor_Gum_on_Aluminum.jpg
>
> It's still missing the K layer + as you can easily spot the M layer is
> not correcly registered. A very rough print...
>
> Anyway, let me express my immense admiration for people who are able
> to make wonderful prints with this process. Respect!
>
> Best regards,
> Loris.