Re: Seeking Information on 2 problems with Gum process

[Michael Koch-Schulte <mkochsch@shaw.ca>]

cadunn wrote:
> ONE
> For any process where you wish to coat and expose the same piece of 
> paper multiple times, what do people do with the severely uneven paper 
> between exposures? I have preshrunk it and dried and ironed it before 
> doing anything to it. But, once it is (perhaps sized depending on the 
> process), coated, exposed, washed, and dried, it reverts to hills and 
> valleys. And yes the contact frame flattens out everything, and the 
> large objects in the image appear nicely, but registration problems 
> ensue in finely detailed areas. I need help!
Oops hit send too soon....to answer your first question. To flatten wet 
paper and make it flat ... at the studio where I've been printing we 
have a big pile of 2' by 4' by 1" thick reclaimed cellulose ceiling 
tiles, a stack of about 20 to 30 deep. Finished prints go between the 
tiles starting at the bottom. Weight can be added safely to the top if 
necessary. The tiles act like a sponge drawing moisture out of the print 
while making it very flat. We also use sheets unprinted newspaper to 
protect the print and the tiles from ink which might rub off from 
movement. Hope that helps.
~m