Re: Merits and Demerits of Salted vs. VDB
Many thanks to all for your notes Christina: <<generally you have to use a flatter neg with VDB than with salt.>> Which leads me to a pragmatic approach: VDB when I'm not achievimg the range I'm seeking for salted. I've put the enlarged interneg -- which produced OK and not so OK results -- approach aside for the moment and digital isn't on the horizon, I'm hooked on 5x7 camera negs and to set up for a full digital procedure is beyond my budget. <<However, in my packet of step wedges and test prints and tonal palettes printed in both, I notice that there is a fading and yellowing and mottling in the VDB packet I do not see in salt. The salt prints look exactly like they did the day I made them.>> I note that these are not show prints, but it's a concern. <<If a salt print looks gross as Sandy says it is a fogging that occurs immediately. This is due (if there is no undue light exposure) to a paper without enough sizing so that the solution sinks too far into the paper. Buxton, a great paper for cyanotype, looked terrible with salt when I used it. BUT the other thing not enough sizing does is not provide enough organic compounds in excess for the whole process to occur.>> I don't perceive fogging. I'm using Arches Platine which seems ta have a diversity of opinions regarding the need for sizing. A Sydney Pt/Pd printer of skill believes, as do some web denizens, that Platine is sized sufficiently already. Sizing is not problematic, I have the correct gelatine and sized some sheets of Rives BFK recently in preparation for testing. The extra organic compound idea is interesting (you can't get much more organic than those boiled down cattle beast hooves!) Sandy <<bite the money bullet and buy some noble metal solution (gold, pallaidum or platinum) and tone the print before fixing. This will eliminate bleaching and give you the deepest possible shadow values.>> I've been thinking about it ever since I exhausted my Tetenal gold toner (opinions?) on conventional prints. Joseph <<Here's an example of 11 VDB prints exposed identically and then treated in different toners and toner/fix sequences using a 2% citric acid 1st wash. >> Thanks Joseph, that is very generous. I've saved the page and I hope that that is OK with you. Regards - Ross =========================== Ross Chambers Blue Mountains New South Wales Australia maelduin@ozemail.com.au ===========================
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