Paper Negative Details

[Trevor Cunningham <tr_cunningham@yahoo.com>]

Hi all,

 

The paper negative threads as of recent have been inspiring, to say the least.  I did go and check the wealth of information in the archives and feel like I've discovered my latest reason to start printing again.  I have recently changed locations on the planet from Egypt to Indonesia, and am now learning a whole new set of logistics.  I no longer have a friend with an APO address, so getting supplies here is a serious pain.  I've managed to locate local chemical suppliers that can facilitate a desired broth.  Glass and wood is cheap, so contact frames will be little challenge.  Plus, I practically live on the equator, so sunlight is as predictable as it can possibly be year-round (eventually, one of these days, I will build a light box).  With the staggering availability of technology, obtaining a suitable printer will be no challenge...only substrate.  I'm going for paper negatives...it sounds too good to pass up.  Only, after considerable digging, I still have a few unanswered questions:

 

1.  Harman makes a FB printer paper...any other options?  Andrea's articles suggest a simple coated printer paper will do the trick (and I think Christina mentioned something along those lines from the archives) and the price factor appeals to me.  I really don't want to muck with RC peeling and the such.

 

2.  Oil sounds messy, but simple.  However, for strength, I like the idea of using wax instead.  However, what I can't get my noodle on is the application process.  Paper is heated and wax melted on it.  Does the paper absorb the wax so you can pass the iron over it subsequent times without difficulty?  It sounds easy to screw up.  Andrea hinted at a wax bath...how quickly does beeswax and paraffin stiffen?  Buildup issues?  When liquid, does excess easily wipe away like water?  Use rollers or squeegees?

 

3.  Does oil lend more to bleeding, or does that depend on the ink?

 

4.  I'm a cyanotype guy, but I want to begin getting serious about gum.  Is this a good option for doing gums?  Andrea, your tricolor carbons are gorgeous and inspiring!

 

Give a holler...Trevor

 

"The optimist believes this is the best of all possible worlds.  The pessimist fears it's true"  - J Robert Oppenheimer

---

Be a better pen pal. 
Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See how.