U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: solarplate wedgies

Re: solarplate wedgies



I noticed the problem when printing palladium from diginegs on the new
'improved' Pictorico Ultra. The back (non-inked) side was giving me some
interference patterns that would occasionally be noticeable  in smoother
toned areas of my prints. The old stuff did not do this.

At first, I assumed the problem was paper sizing or some other 'not my
fault' factor. They were lighter toned areas that looked like little dots
and wiggles in the middle of dark areas on the print. I could almost
always fix them by retouching, but after the subject came up a few weeks
ago, I put on my Sherlock Holmes deerstalker hat and UV blocking
sunglasses and observed what was going on in my exposure unit as the
vacuum drew down. Surprise! The irregularities were in the same spots as
the the funky patterns I could observe between the vacuum frame glass and
the back of the negative.

I tried cursing and incantations to no avail. I finally took a hint from
the KM73 crowd and used a blow dryer to hot-air dry the negative to
Sahara-like aridity just before exposure. This helped somewhat, but not
entirely. I now have some of the acrylic spray that I intend to spray on
the back of a negative to see if this will get me the rest of the way. I
will report if this is successful.

As I said on the hybrid forum, I could really learn to hate this pictorico
Ultra. Unfortunately, I cannot locate a source for the old stuff in 24
inch rolls.

Clay
> Jeremy,
> Thanks for the tip.  I can't find the time to go back over all the
> messages
> on hybrid right now, so one quick question:  what processes were people
> having Newton rings with--solarplate or other alt as well?  I did not know
> Sandy was doing solarplate, nor Clay, so it is happening with other
> processes, too?!
> Chris
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jeremy Moore" <jeremydmoore@gmail.com>
> To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 9:50 AM
> Subject: Re: solarplate wedgies
>
>
>> Christina,
>>
>> There's a long thread over at Hybridphoto.com where Sandy King seems to
>> have
>> come up with a solution. I know that I am getting the newton rings in my
>> prints using the vacuum frame of a NuArc and Clay Harmon spoke up that
>> he's
>> getting them with his Amergraph vacuum frame. I believe Susan said she
>> is
>> getting them with the sheets of Pictorico, but I'm only getting them
>> with
>> the pieces cut down from the "NEW and IMPROVED" (my ass) Pictorico Super
>> Fantastico Ultra (or whatever it's called)--I believe Clay's problem is
>> also
>> stemming from the new rolls.
>>
>> Here's a link to the thread on HybridPhoto:
>> http://www.hybridphoto.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3013#post3013
>>
>> -Jeremy-
>>
>> On 4/3/07, Christina Z. Anderson <zphoto@montana.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> Susan,
>>> You mean to tell me that even with a vacuum frame you are still having
>>> this
>>> as a major problem? Will it never end?  I can feel your pain.  There
>>> have
>>> been several times I have felt like giving up. Or, at least, sticking
>>> to
>>> busy images with no appreciable large areas of dark.
>>>
>>>
>>> Chris
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
>