[alt-photo] Re: Albumen, Cyano, larger printers - oh my!

[Earl and Patty Johnson]

I get good results coating with a glass rod when I put down a bead of sensitizer that takes 5 strokes to use up. I follow Mike Ware's instructions. I tape the paper to a level sheet of glass - the hard surface and the levelness seem to make a difference. I use a light touch with the glass rod - each successive pass gets less pressure and a little more speed. It is easy to do once you get the hang of it. The trick is to get the right amount in the bead in front of the rod, and to do everything quickly, with no delay.

I have not done many albumen prints, but I have done quite a few salted paper prints. The gold toning makes a big difference. I use the gold/thiourea toner that Wynn White recommends in his article A Dash of Salt. The prints do not fade in the fix if they are gold toned before the fix. Also, the first rinse should be in salt water with a touch of citric acid. Since albumen is a special case of a salt print, I assume that albumen prints work the same way. 

Earl Johnson


On Apr 23, 2010, at 1:55 PM, Chris wrote:

> loris.medici.name wrote " Also, have you tried to apply the solution with a brush?
> I mean why do you want to use a glass rod instead of a good brush?
> Both methods are easy once mastered."
> 
> I've tried a foam brush - and gotten uneven results. Based on feedback from Francis, I believe my issue w/ the glass rod stems from trying to push it around too much, making it too thin in parts. I like the suggestion to try to do it 'in one pass'. I'm not, however, sure how to keep from 'dragging' the excess off the paper, onto the glass..  
> 
> Re: acidifiction.. I plan to use the technique which I believe you suggested, 5% HCl solution for some number of seconds ('until the bubbles stop", was the expression,I think)
> 
> Thank you!
> Chris
> _______________________________________________
> Alt-photo-process-list | http://altphotolist.org/listinfo