Re: cyanotypes and gum print
Matti,
Good that you're doing gum again! It doesn't seem to look like anyone
answered your questions of a week ago--where is this list anyway????
You're the first person who I remember is using a Hewlett Packard printer.
Single coat gums--use more pigment, more gum, and long exposure and long
development without resorting to a brush. You'll risk grittiness if you
overdo those variables but you could also do the usual way of a less
pigmented layer and then do another layer on top with a short exposure to
just hit the shadows with some more depth.
Otherwise, as you are experimenting with all this, ask again. I know there
are a bunch, now, of experienced gum printers who can help you out other
than I.
Chris
hi all,
after four years of doing traditional photography. Christina's images in
pH7, made me get my gear out of the garage and fridge. I made a simple
cyanotype negative with inkjet, mixed the solution, coated, and exposed
few minutes in the sun. And rinsing the paper revealed a quite ok image,
just very contrasty. The I searched alt-list archives, googling, found
some curves and got much better results. Slowly I started to remember the
process, and now, after four years, can get better prints, than ages ago.
I found several curves, but the best result I get from a cyano curve
posted on this list in 2005. I'm printing with HP 1220C, as I used to do,
colorizing the transparency with curves in PWP. The negatives, (and by
now, I've made lots of them), are capable of getting full dmax and dmin,
so the printer and my workflow works. Mainly the problem still is with
curves and exposure All you nice people: is there a simple method to
create a curve? I know about PDN, but if, after my first burst, I'll be
doing next four years again only photography with holgas and dslrs, I'll
better try something more simple.
Also tried gum prints. The gum left from 2003, was still ok, found the
watercolour tube, dichromate, which also turned out to be in full power,
and mixed a small amout of ingredients. Coating was bit difficult, I did
in the old times only few gum prints, because I never succeeded getting
good prints. But now anyway I managed to do a print. After development, I
immediately noticed, that it was my best print ever. Still, not a great
one, but much better start than 2003.
I'll be practising gum definitely more, but need help in this matter too.
For a beginner (again), what's the best method to create single coat gum
prints? The print I made, looks ok, but weak. I know by coating and
exposing several layers, a better tonality can be achived, but for the
moment, and getting on with this, I really could use some tips.
thanks
(and sorry for the long post)
-matti
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