[alt-photo] Re: Metalotype

Robert Newcomb newcombr at uga.edu
Thu Mar 11 18:52:21 GMT 2010 

Sounds like about as much fun and creativity as a Xerox machine.


On Mar 11, 2010, at 1:48 PM, Keith Gerling wrote:

> I'm excited.  Identical tricolor gumprints in one pass with no pesty
> clearing-bath hassles.  Think of all the time that I'll save!
>
>
>
>> On Mar 11, 2010, at 11:08 AM, Paul Viapiano wrote:
>>
>> You must be kidding...well, there goes all my fun! I had to check my
>>> calendar to make sure I hadn't slept through the last 20 days of  
>>> March...
>>>
>>> Anyway...God, if you're going to go that far, just make some  
>>> goddam inkjet
>>> prints and be done with it. Is there anyone left on this earth who  
>>> values
>>> effing craft anymore?
>>>
>>> Digital brought technology to music and now we have complete idiots
>>> "writing" and "playing" music, who can't read a lick of it and  
>>> wouldn't know
>>> an Eb from a D#...and they think they're musicians on the same  
>>> level as a Yo
>>> Yo Ma.
>>>
>>> Paul
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: <C.Breukel at lumc.nl>
>>> To: <alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org>
>>> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 7:06 AM
>>> Subject: [alt-photo] Metalotype
>>>
>>>
>>> Got this mail form Mike Ware some time ago (I am on a mailing list  
>>> of
>>>> mike, guess some people already heard about it). Anyway: food for
>>>> thought I guess....
>>>>
>>>> Cor
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>> Metalotype:  Metal-jet Printing
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The current practice of Hybrid Digital-Alternative Printing  
>>>> involves
>>>> making large negatives digitally with an inkjet printer, in order  
>>>> to
>>>> contact-print them photographically onto hand-coated 'alternative'
>>>> sensitized papers of the 'single-layer' category, such as  
>>>> cyanotype,
>>>> argyrotype, palladiotype, platinotype and chrysotype.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> With the advance of digital printing technology, this wasteful and
>>>> complex procedure could soon become redundant: to obtain an  
>>>> identical
>>>> result, it would only be necessary to fill an inkjet printer  
>>>> cartridge
>>>> with a solution of Chemical A, and print the 'potential image'  
>>>> onto a
>>>> sheet of fine paper. This would then be 'developed' in a solution  
>>>> of
>>>> Chemical B, which reacts with Chemical A to produce the desired  
>>>> image
>>>> substance in situ, probably in nanoparticle form; the print is then
>>>> washed and dried. Depending on the choice of Chemicals A and B, the
>>>> result could be a plain paper print in: Prussian blue, silver,
>>>> palladium, platinum or gold, with the image substance embedded in  
>>>> the
>>>> surface fibres of the paper, just the same as hand-coated  
>>>> siderotypes
>>>> printed photochemically - and laboriously - from negatives.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Such prints should be indistinguishable in their chemical and  
>>>> physical
>>>> structure from those made by the  traditional methods.
>>>> I suggest the names Metal-jet Printing or Metalotype for this  
>>>> procedure.
>>>> It would have the following advantages:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 1) It would eliminate all the alternative photographic  
>>>> paraphernalia: no
>>>> UV light sources, printing frames or vacuum easels,  coating  
>>>> implements,
>>>> safe lighting, photosensitive chemicals, etc. This might  
>>>> encourage more
>>>> digital photographers to try 'alternative' image substances and  
>>>> fine
>>>> papers.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 2) It would eliminate the large internegative - which is costly in
>>>> ceramic-coated film and pigment printer inks.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 3) The wet processing procedure would be simple, reusable,  
>>>> economic, and
>>>> eco-friendly.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 4) For a print of an 'average scene', it would consume less than  
>>>> one
>>>> tenth of the amount of precious metal required at present,  
>>>> because none
>>>> is washed away in the processing. Saving over 90% of the cost of
>>>> platinum, palladium, silver, or gold would be a significant benefit
>>>> which could widen the appeal and use of these precious metals as  
>>>> print
>>>> media.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The possibilities do not end there, however: because there is no  
>>>> need
>>>> for the imaging system to be photochemical, a wide range of simple
>>>> chemical reactions - by metathesis or by reduction-oxidation -  
>>>> could be
>>>> employed to make digital photographic prints on plain paper in  
>>>> all sorts
>>>> of stable pigments never previously usable; for instance, the  
>>>> insoluble
>>>> sulphides, selenides, chromates, and iodides  of various heavy  
>>>> metals
>>>> such as lead, bismuth, mercury, cadmium or silver. Besides the  
>>>> familiar
>>>> Prussian blue, other coloured ferrocyanides and ferricyanides are
>>>> possible. In addition to the traditional platinum, palladium and  
>>>> gold,
>>>> the other 'noble' metals could be reduced, as images in rhenium,
>>>> ruthenium, rhodium, osmium and iridium (should anyone wish to do  
>>>> so).
>>>> Three-colour printing should also be possible. Other metals and  
>>>> more
>>>> exotic pigments will suggest themselves to the inventive chemist as
>>>> potential image substances, but the chemistry required is mostly
>>>> elementary - CM 101.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The difficulties could be expected to arise with achieving an
>>>> appropriate rheology of the "ink" solution of Chemical A for the
>>>> piezoelectric printheads, by adjusting its surface tension and  
>>>> viscosity
>>>> parameters for the best distribution in the cellulose paper fibres.
>>>> Doubtless these are deep commercial secrets, already well- 
>>>> understood by
>>>> the manufacturers of printer inks. A benefit would come from the  
>>>> "ink"
>>>> being a true solution, not a particulate suspension, so there  
>>>> would be
>>>> no problems of clogged printheads; there may however be issues of
>>>> corrosion and toxicity with some chemicals.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Is there anyone out there with the technical know-how to convert an
>>>> inkjet printer to this use? I'm just amazed that it seems not to  
>>>> have
>>>> been done already. A chemically-dedicated inkjet printer could  
>>>> simply
>>>> eliminate the negative and the photochemistry. This is the  
>>>> logical end
>>>> result of 'hybrid practices' using digital technology. Unless one  
>>>> chose
>>>> to embrace pure analogue photographic practice, it would be time  
>>>> to bid
>>>> farewell to all siderotypes!
>>>> (Meanwhile, I continue to make them...)
>>>> Mike Ware, March 2010
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dr Mike Ware
>>>> 20 Bath Road
>>>> Buxton
>>>> Derbyshire
>>>> SK17 6HH
>>>> UK
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> +44 (0)1298 78604
>>>> mike at mikeware.co.uk
>>>> http://www.mikeware.co.uk
>>>>
>>>>
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