Re: Question about Masa paper

[Bruce Campbell <brucerccampbell@sbcglobal.net>]

To those interested in Masa paper 

 

Dolphin Papers in Indianapolis also carries the Masa paper.  Look under their Japanese paper list.  Their web site is http://homepage.mac.com/dolphinpapers/catalog2004.htm

Paper prices are a little higher than D.S. prices.

 

Bruce 

Katharine Thayer <kthayer@pacifier.com> wrote:

> Thanks, Loris... so it looks like what I've got is the same thing 
> you've got, and also the same as what's currently available as "Masa" 
> from the Daniel Smith catalog, since it's the identical 
> description. I'm surprised the description doesn't include the 
> twosidedness of it.
>
> I've printed gum on both sides; the nappy side doesn't work very
>  
> well because it speckles and would require additional size to print 
> without speckling. It is also difficult to coat smoothly, as the 
> emulsion catches in the nap and wants to stay where it was put 
> initially rather than brushing out smooth. The smooth side coats 
> beautifully and prints quite well, but it's very slow. Both sides 
> are slow, but I assumed the nappy side was slow because it soaks up a 
> lot more emulsion so the coating is thicker, but even the smooth 
> side, which uses much less emulsion, is slow, at least 4x the 
> exposure required for my usual Arches paper. Also, since the paper 
> is thin, it tends to dry crinkled, and would probably need to be 
> flattened in a press. It's kind of like printing gum on typing 
> paper; you can do it, but why would you. Two reasons why you might: 
> it dries quick as a wink, and the smooth side is very smooth and 
> coats nicely. It's hard to find a really smooth surface that's also 
> easy to
>  coat.
>
> These are just quick-and-dirty test prints and not calibrated for 
> the best exposure, but they do show the relative printing qualities 
> of the two sides of the paper.
>
> http://www.pacifier.com/~kthayer/html/Masa.html
>
> An even thinner Japanese paper with amazing wet strength is silk 
> tissue, also available from the Daniel Smith catalog.
> Katharine
>
>
> You don't say which
> On Jan 22, 2007, at 9:49 PM, Loris Medici wrote:
>
> > Katharine,
> >
> > The paper I have matches the description:
> >
> > "...Used as an inexpensive sumi, printmaking, marbling and fine
> > letterpress paper, Masa is a soft, white paper with the traditional
> > absorbency and feel of handmade Japanese papers. Machine-made in Japan
> > from sulphite, it is internally and surface-sized..."
> >
> > It's very smooth and almost shiny on one side and finely textured /
> > fibrous on the other side (also
>  matte).
> >
> > The paper may remain in water for 24 hours without falling apart 
> > (yes, I
> > forgot few sheets in water...) and it's quite absorbent; I had to use
> > about 66% - 25% more sensitizer per same area when compared to other
> > papers.
> >
> > Printing multilayer gum on it? Not an endeavor for the faint- 
> > hearted...
> >
> > Hope this helps,
> > Loris.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Katharine Thayer [mailto:kthayer@pacifier.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 1:23 AM
> > To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
> > Subject: Question about Masa paper
> >
> > ..
> >
> > The Masa paper I have, seems somewhere in between. It's soft and
> > fuzzy (nappy) on one side, and hard (not waxed, really, but smooth)
> > on the other side, and the paper is about the thickness of typing
> > paper. So I'm curious, Loris, is the Masa paper you've printed
> >
>  cyanotype on anything like this? I'm asking because if my paper is
> > outdated, there's no point in perfecting printing on it. Thanks,
> > Katharine
> >
> >