U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: Kallitypes: update, new images

Re: Kallitypes: update, new images



Don,

You can learn more about Graphix Vellum at <grafixarts.com>. It is based in Cleveland, Ohio. The 48 Vellum is heavier than the 24.

Rajul



On 29-Mar-07, at 8:30 PM, Don Bryant wrote:

Rajul,

I meant to reply earlier but got distracted. Thank you very much for sharing
your findings, you seem to have done some thorough testing.

Can you identify these papers more clearly:

STHG - Stonehnege?

Graphix Vellum 48 - Clearprint or something similar?

Thanks,

Don Bryant


-----Original Message-----
From: Venkatram Iyer [mailto:eyeear@telus.net]
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2007 8:02 PM
To: alt-photo-process-L@usask.ca
Subject: Kallitypes: update, new images

Hello All,

I have summarized my experience with the Kallitype Process. Apologies for
the length, but the friendly delete button is ever-handy!


3.27.07 UPDATED KALLITYPE OBSERVATIONS

GENERAL
- to get sharp borders (no bleeding), STICK black sign vinyl onto
border on non-emulsion side of OHP neg.
- Care of Richeson brush: rinse used brush, then stand it in ~4%
Na4-EDTA for 2-3 hours, rinse. Keep bristles submerged in
water

SIZING
-Formalin-hardened gelatin sizing of Arches Platine improves
sharpness. Colors obtained on development are different from
those on
unsized AP
- sizing improves tonal resolution, opens up shads; HLs are brighter
- sizing STHG-B yields variable outcomes: either prints are soft, or

colors are enhanced and details are improved

ADDITIVES
- addition of Au to emulsion reduces exposure time but shads are
poorly resolved
- steptab printed on unsized AP gave cleaner seps when Au was
omitted
from emulsion mix
- sized AP coated with emulsion containing Au needed 33% less
exposure
than the control without the additive

EMULSION
- thin spread clears better than a thicker one
- 6 AgNO3:4FO works better than 5:5
- a single coat on AP and STHG is sufficient
- for Graphix Vellum 48, precoat with 1% oxalic acid, then apply 2
coats of emulsion (dry between each application). This
reduces
curling and splotching of vellum

PAPER
- STHG has a sidedness, one side printing better than the other
- Pd toning shows variable effects: cool brown in one case,
B/W in
another
- Se toner produced muddy outcome
- AP produces rich lustrous tones, needs less expo than STHG
- Pt toner gave dark warm browns and well-defined HLs
- Au toner gave choc-brown-black tones w good detail; HLs
separated
well
- Graphix Vellum 48 produced gritty images (may work in some cases)
- detail on Vellum 48 was better than on AP
- Masa (rough side)
- tape down and coat with Richeson
- Se toner works well: toner effect is easier to see if KOX
is used
at 5%
- expos are 8-10' for normal negs; to get HLs to print
expose
longer - a plastic paddle facilitates handling of Masa
- all
processing is done in one tray
- liquids are poured over paddle while it is held
above print
- paddle is made from a thin bendable plastic, the
front half being
cut in the shape of the tray but slightly
smaller; it tapers to a
handle midway. A hole cut in the latter
provides ease of handling.
- dry print in developing tray. When partially dry,
move it to and
dry it
between folds of a 100% cotton bedsheet
- Weston 's Parchment Paper
- needs 6 ml / 11 x 14" area
- Se toner gives gray-brown blacks
- 6-7' expo prints all tones
- overexposed, Se-toned print showed cool brown shads; gray
brown MTs;
creamy HLs
- with slight over-exposure, Pd toning gave a low key, but
attractive
gold- brown print
- Somerset Beige and White: use 2.5 ml / 8 x 10" area
SomB:
- needs 6-8' to print all tones
- Se toning was unsatisfactory
- good medium to print a contrasty neg on
- Pd toner gives cool brown shads, muddy MTs, warm HLs
Som W:
- needs 5-6' expo to print all tones
- texture of paper eliminates VENETIAN BLINDS in HL areas
- Pd toner gave cool brown shads, muddy MTs, warm HLs

EXPOSURE
- expose soon after coating, drying and equilibrating to room
conditions
- expo should not exceed point when a medium-dark ochre appears in
deepest
shadows. This endpoint is seen on AP, STHG, and Somerset but
not on
Vellum or Masa.
- On Vellum, exposure does not produce any visible image
- reduced exposures show better detail. Factor in drydown.

DEVELOPERS
- 20% Na Citrate and Hall's Developer produce similar outcomes
- 20% KOX blocks shads
- 5 and 10% KOX produce identical effects to those produced by 20%
Na
citrate
- though 3% KOX produces crisp steptab seps, it is less impressive
than 5% KOX when printing negs

TONING (see PAPERS above)
- do not reuse
- toners can be brushed on gently to conserve volumes and achieve
even
toning


FACTORS AFFECTING KALLITYPE COLORS
Paper, sizing, thickness of emulsion, additives in emulsion, developer
(type and strength), temperature of wash water, and toner (s).

A systematic study of how these interact to produce the final color
would be time-intensive though informative.


I have added some new Kallis to my web page at <lookatart.com> or
<theartark.com>. Click the REFRESH button, then select Painters (or 2-D
works), and scroll down to where my name appears.


Rajul