U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: Drying of handmade watercolour paper

Re: Drying of handmade watercolour paper



Ah...I've struggled with this one too, and will eagerly await other answers to your question.
 
I love the edges of the paper too and refuse to lose them.  Here are some things I've done that have been useful, though not perfect:
 
-- gently squeegee the print and lay it face up on a screen.  Let it dry for a short time (maybe 10 or 15 minutes) and then lay small clean stones around the entire perimeter;  some stones seem to leave a shiny mark on the paper some of the time (am still trying to diagnose that).
 
--  lay the paper between blotters or sandwiched in pellon, but change the blotters or pellon very frequently in the first couple of hours, or the print will adhere.  The problem with this method is that it really dulls the blacks on the prints (which may or may not matter to you).  Also sometimes the paper just dries TOO flat and that looks unnatural.
 
-- humidity, and possible warmer air temps, seem to reduce curling too.
 
Let me know how you fare.
 
Rita




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