RE: dark gums
Hello all, Thanks so much for all the help. I had frustrating day in the darkroom, but I am still experimenting, testing and reading through everyone's advice--Scopik, James, Van Keuren--and at least I got an image. The problems have been: 1. Flaking off of the image [too much gum, right?] 2. Extremely long exposures that still provide little image, with pigment not coming out [too long of exposures? not enough contrast in negative? Too much pigment?] 3. A bit of staining after the print has washed. 4. uneven gelatin on one print--that showed up in the image. I think the gelatin was starting to cool. Christina, my negatives are digital inkjet. However, before reading your email my plan for tomorrow was to separate the image into 3 negs--RGB--but print them all black. But after reading your advice on controlling exposure and pigment I think I can print one negative with a full range and get what I want with multiple layers. In fact, I'm realizing that that is the only way to go, and that is a benefit of printing with gum. One question though, with the multiple printing/adding pigment, can I have my sensitize solution [gum, pigment and dichromate] mixed and then add pigment to it? [what length of time--if any--will the light sensitive mixture last?] Or do I need to add pigment to the gum each time, and then mix it with the dichromate? Also, I have a 30% saturated ammonium dichromate solution...would it be too much a variable to change this to compensate with/for exposure? Could I add more distilled water to this already mixed solution? Questions, question, questions. I really appreciate everyone's help. I live in Rochester, and last year around this time I looked at just about every gum print at the Eastman House myself. They were amazingly beautiful to see, and now I have an even greater appreciation of the process. As frustrating as the process can be, it compares more closely to printmaking than to making prints [photo], and I feel like once I work through some of these technicalities I am going to love it. Again, thanks to everyone. Ilana
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