[alt-photo] Re: Weston Diploma Parchment

Tue Mar 9 05:17:31 GMT 2010

Jon, The use of a hair dry or other warm air stream, should be used with
caution around a pt/pd print as you know. The slight front or face drying of
the print at a low level, and then a longer back side drying can work with
great effectiveness. The resting time, will depend greatly on type of metals
used and RH of environment. PD needs moisture much more so than PT to both
print with speed and Dmax. So those experiencing lower Dmax may be printing
with those conditions. Also the type of ferric, FO vs AFO will also be a
factor. 

Test your ferric with the potassium ferrocynide test, a 1/4 teaspoon in  25
to 50ml of distilled water. Put a drop or two into the solution. If it turns
blue your screwed. If it stays brown, your fine and the longer the better
but it too will change.

Table salt bath??? well that's a new one on me. If your looking for colder
toned prints try making your palladium solution with ammonium chloride
instead of sodium.    

Eric Neilsen
Eric Neilsen Photography
4101 Commerce Street, Suite 9
Dallas, TX 75226

www.ericneilsenphotography.com
skype me with ejprinter
www.ericneilsenphotography.com/forum1
Let's Talk Photography

-----Original Message-----
From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org
[mailto:alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org] On Behalf Of
Jon Reid
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 4:53 PM
To: The alternative photographic processes mailing list
Subject: [alt-photo] Re: Weston Diploma Parchment

Hi all,
Thanks fro all your responses.
I didn't put all details into the post of every solution I had tried  
as it was already getting unwieldy.

I lent my sensitizer #1 solution to a friend just two weeks ago who  
made a beautiful pure palladium print from it. It was made up fairly  
recently from powdered stock that is <2 years old and always  
refrigerated. I think it's alright.

I'm using the black plastic from bags that silver-gelatin photo  
papers come packaged in. It is what I normally use (though the last  
few years I have been printing from digital inter-negatives that have  
opaque borders and don't require masking.) The plastic is between  
paper and negative, so piping shouldn't be the cause.

With regards to drying the coated paper. I was taught, when I first  
learnt platinum, to use warm/hot air from a hair dryer then rest the  
paper to allow it to regain some humidity before exposure. I then  
subsequently read that some people believe it reduces Dmax and  
contrast so I started using cool air and or air drying before laying  
the print on a rack over a bath of saturated salt solution (household  
table salt). To be honest, that's when I thought the fogging was  
getting worse. Perhaps it was too humid?

I decided to try and simplify my process back to when it used to work  
for me (when I used Platine), so this time I blasted with warm air,  
then rested under safelights before exposure. My exposure unit is  
black light tubes - fairly basic and standard.

I tried a fresh batch of developer. I was favouring the 'cold bath'  
version of KOx as per the Sullivan and Weese book as I don't want too  
warm a tone however the interesting thing from the tests the other  
night is that there was little difference in tone between that  
version and straight KOx used at 21DegC.

I gather no one else has had this problem as I have, so maybe it  
isn't the paper. I'm frustrated to the nth, with 30 or so negs to  
print for my debut solo show...

Jon

On 09/03/2010, at 6:54 AM, EJ Photo wrote:

> I haven't seen heat fog with that paper. It could very well be an  
> issue with
> Ferric but replacing is NOT always needed. It could very well be that
> repairing it is in order. It could be a pH issue or all sorts of  
> stuff. Try
> adding some more Oxalic acid to your ferric. Hair dryers should  
> only be used
> lightly and primarily on the backside with low heat.
>
>
> I'd suspect the light bleed along the negative material; light  
> piping. Try
> place the mask under it just for a test and see if it stops it. If  
> you can't
> get it to stop, clear, or prevent the distraction of the fog, just  
> coat the
> whole piece of paper. ; )
>
> have you tried a fresh batch of developer? Is it possible that you  
> were
> playing around with it and had some lithium in the mix?  or gold  
> that is
> fogging it?
>
> Eric
>
> Eric Neilsen
> Eric Neilsen Photography
> 4101 Commerce Street, Suite 9
> Dallas, TX 75226
>
> www.ericneilsenphotography.com
> skype me with ejprinter
> www.ericneilsenphotography.com/forum1
> Let's Talk Photography
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org
> [mailto:alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org] On  
> Behalf Of
> Diana Bloomfield
> Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 7:27 AM
> To: The alternative photographic processes mailing list
> Subject: [alt-photo] Re: Weston Diploma Parchment
>
> 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.
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