U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: Gum Bichromate Print Clearing Question

Re: Gum Bichromate Print Clearing Question



Bruce,

Most discussion on the subject is wheter people get stain or not and whether it is visible with their pigment mixture / practice. Most agree that clearing with metabisulfite is effective. I get some stain which is clearly visible with transparent colours. My clearing practice is to use dry prints (at least a day, but could be dried for months since I clear in batches), soak  in water and then soak it in clearing solution. Your timing guidelines agree with my practice. Soak the print in water after that for another 15-30 minutes to wash clearing solution off.

Marek Matusz


From:  Judy Seigel <jseigel@panix.com>
Reply-To:  alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
To:  alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject:  Re: Gum Bichromate Print Clearing Question
Date:  Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:11:29 -0400 (EDT)
>
>On Tue, 7 Aug 2007, Bruce Campbell wrote:
>
>>Hi list.
>>
>>  I am just beginning to make some gum prints and have a question
>>concerning print clearing.
>>
>>  I know some folks clear their prints in either a 1% up to 5%
>>solution of potassium metabisulphite for 2 to 5 minutes.  My
>>question is, do you agitate your print while its in this solution
>>or do you just let it soak.
>
>Hi Bruce, My experience is that in gum clearing, as in life, it
>never hurts to agitate a little, though gently is quite sufficient,
>in gum anyway.  I myself however, rather than do it strictly by
>time, would do it by eye. When it's paper white... enough. And I
>would also give a plain water rinse at the end.
>
>Then again I wouldn't use a clearing bath at all unless I saw
>visible stain.. which is most likely (IME) in weather like this.
>
>Judy
>
>===============================================
>
>"[Read My T-shirt] for President... A True History of the Political
>Front and Back," by  Judy Seigel
>
>"I'd recommend it for a Pulitzer Price except I lack the
>credentials."
>..........................................................
>
>www.frontandbackpress.com
>
>


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