Re: oil printing
Since Dirk-Jan Treffers' question referred to "the same recipe on alternativephotography.com," where the original of Post-Factory #1 is posted, and includes my instructions for sizing in gum printing, I assumed that that was the reference (also because I hadn't yet written anything about oil printing). Though frankly with "oil printing" on my mind, I didn't register the change of subject, nor would changing subject line at that point necessarily have been constructive, since the question was asked under "oil printing." Not to mention that a question about oil printing concluded his e-mail. As for changing subject lines generally, we see here that that's a rule, sometimes necessarily honored in the breach. (Not to mention that with "oil printing" on my mind, I didn't think of it, tho maybe I said that.) When I logged on earlier this evening there were, by actual count, some 5000 e-mails subject-lined -- oops, after a brain-drain off-list operation, I forget what, but as so often happens, the conversation got pretty far afield, but was lively, and interesting, or so I recall. In sum, the rule about changing subject lines is theoretically good (tho I sometimes feel I'm the only one does that), but what happens in reality is that a "conversational" exchange takes place that has no predictable subject line, folks just chime in, and inserting one would be a discontinuity, a wrench in the gears of the kind of semi-social or friendly and personal exchange that tends to build community, but can't be charted in advance. Not to mention free association. Also, that if I changed the subject line on this "reply," the answer I provide here would be lost. I'll add now, at 12:45 AM, that I found several references to oil printing, too many and varied to summarize simply, and obviously I haven't tried any of them. I will return, probably tomorrow (or rather, later today) with info and so forth, tho I share now what strikes me as the most important fact I gleaned. (And gleaned is the word, it didn't present itself readily -- more proof of what I've said so often: the trouble with how-to articles is they're written by experts, who don't realize that the info in their heads isn't on the page. And/or that a reader 102 years into the future won't necessarily get all their references.) In any event, I finally realized that when "oil printing" articles mention "ink," they don't mean the kind you dip your quill pen into, but *printers' ink,* generally greasy and thick, needing to be thinned. Maybe that's obvious to printmakers, but wasn't to me. Judy > > On Thu, 25 Sep 2008, Dirk-Jan Treffers wrote: Judy,I haven't seen what's actually on the website, but in the actual Issue #1 of Post-Factory (with subsequent mentions and further testing in later issues) the sizing section (in what you might call a "sidebar") MOST DEFINITELY has the hardening. I do NOT however put the hardener in the gelatin, for various reasons including in case I have some gelatine left (I vat size, so have mixed up a heap), I can use it the next day, or put it in the fridge, and keep for a week... also I just don't like the idea -- maybe because that's not the way I was taught, or there really is some difference, but IMO the hardener IN the gelatin is a PITA, with no advantage.
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