[alt-photo] Re: Weston Diploma Parchment

[Diana Bloomfield]

Jon,

Have you printed any of these without using a hair dryer beforehand?   
I'm thinking your problem might be either exhausted ferric oxalate,   
and/or use of the hair dryer-- as well as allowing it to sit for an  
additional 15 minutes after using the hair dryer(?).  I taught a  
workshop once where there was some evidence of fogging, but only for  
those people using hair dryers-- even when they set it on a "cool"  
setting.  When we eliminated the use of hair dryers, the problem  
disappeared.   Just a suggestion, but it's worth a try to switch to  
fresh ferric oxalate and skip the hair dryer.  I also think certain  
papers are really a disaster for pt/pd.  I used to use, many years,  
ago Cranes Platinotype (sp?), and I couldn't completely clear a print  
on that paper to save my life-- no matter what I used..  I never liked  
the Weston paper, either, but I know I'm in the minority there.  I  
just don't like the weight of it.

Diana


On Mar 8, 2010, at 5:25 AM, Jon Reid wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I have been battling a problem for about 6 months now. At first I  
> thought it was a clearing problem then after trying various things  
> realised that it wasn't clearing but rather some density that was  
> appearing in the coated area of the paper that is masked during  
> exposure. The paper that I have been trying to print on is Weston  
> Diploma Parchment. I bought this paper in early 2008 from Bostick &  
> Sullivan and believe it is stock that was made by Cranes, not the re- 
> invented Diploma Parchment Plat Pal being marketed by John Zowkowski  
> of Butler Dearden.
>
> I am wishing to print my 5x7 rollo-pyro negs on these 11x14 sheets  
> for my debut solo exhibition. I do not want to mat the prints so I  
> am trying for very clear coated-but-masked areas. The other night,  
> believing I was dealing with a fogging issue I set up darkroom  
> safelights and coated under those lights. I then used a hair dryer   
> and rested the paper in the room for 10-15min before exposure (11min  
> in my UV box), and developed in KOx (cold bath version-fresh) at 21C.