[alt-photo] Re: cyanotype [Triangle]

[Diana Bloomfield]

Thanks, Loris.   I do allow the paper to dry, of course, before I  
stick any of my negatives to it.  (I've at least learned that much in  
25 years of working as a photographer-- even if I might not know much  
else!)  ;)

As stated before, though, because my darkroom is either cooled by air  
conditioning, or heated by forced hot air-- my papers really need  
humidifying before coating-- for just about any process I use, it  
seems.  I do ensure they're actually damp from the humidifier,  
humidifying both front and back, and then don't let them sit too long  
to dry-- just long enough that a negative won't be damaged by the  
surface.  So, no worries-- I don't print with wet paper as that would,  
obviously, be a problem.

Any "lavender" sort of hue I've ever gotten from cyanotype has been  
either from toning, or from varying results from different papers or  
fabric.  I personally doubt it's humidity that's causing that lavender  
effect, but that's just my opinion from my own experience.  I would  
actually wonder about trays being used for the water development.   
Some small amount of chemical contamination could possibly have an  
effect, too, I would think. ??

Anyway, thanks again, Loris.

Diana


On Jun 3, 2010, at 2:59 AM, Loris Medici wrote:

> Diana,
>
> All processes that use FAC are somehow problematic in the department  
> of
> getting "in" the paper. You need relaxed (humid - not wet!) paper  
> while
> coating, to have the sensitizer effectively soak in the paper. You  
> don't
> need damp paper while exposing (if you aren't going for the shortest
> possible exposure time, that is...), actually, damp/humid paper during
> exposure is a problem with processes that have FAC sensitizer; since
> negatives tend to stick to the paper and/or negatives peel the topmost
> fibers from the paper giving extra grainy / fibrous tones...
>
> Regards,
> Loris.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org On  
> Behalf Of
> Diana Bloomfield
> Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 5:01 AM
> To: The alternative photographic processes mailing list
> Subject: [alt-photo] Re: cyanotype [Triangle]
>
> Hmm . . . that's so odd.  I really have to humidify my papers (for
> cyanotype)-- literally holding both sides of the paper in the steam,  
> until
> the paper actually feels somewhat damp, for cyanotype to work for  
> me-- no
> matter what paper I use.  Otherwise, the emulsion just comes right  
> off in
> the water.  That's why I'm so surprised that
> humidity would be the issue.   Maybe it's just weird water up there,
> full of weird toxic stuff. :0
>
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