[alt-photo] Re: Weston Diploma Parchment
EJ Photo
ejnphoto at sbcglobal.net
Mon Mar 15 12:57:14 GMT 2010
Jon, Been out of town, so sorry for delayed response. Is there any sepia
toning kits around? that would have the potassium ferricyanide that you need
to do the test. In my experience, the hair dryer on the front or coated side
of the paper for about 1 to 2 minutes on medium to low heat at about right.
Then flip it and get a little closer and do that for about 4 to 6 minutes.
this is based on a 1000 watt hair dryer and working about 1 foot away from
the surface.
Thinner paper require a lighter touch, so you may not see the heat fog on
COT 320 that you'd see on the Weston using the same drying technique.
Sorry to hear that you bought premixed solutions as tat does take away from
one ability to test out slightly different batches of PD to adjust your
color. The ammonium chloride should not be that hard to come by, but I don't
know your area at all.
For thin paper you might try a one tray method of processing if you are not
doing so already. Pour your chemistry into the tray and that will keep you
from having to pick it up several time. Also a fan out fingers underneath
the paper allows for easy removal without damage. Make sure you are using a
flat bottom tray though.
Having ferric work on one paper and not another is not the best way to test
a solution. I'd still try and add a few pinches of oxalic acid to the FO.
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: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 5:07 AM
To: The alternative photographic processes mailing list
Subject: [alt-photo] Re: Weston Diploma Parchment
Eric,
"The use of a hair dry or other warm air stream, should be used with
caution around a pt/pd print as you know"
Well no, I don't know. As I said I was taught to give the coated
sheet a good going over, both sides, with warm air from a hair dryer
then rest to restore humidity.
"Also the type of ferric, FO vs AFO will also be a factor"
Mine is straight FO, from B&S, so far as I know. I kind of feel that
I have tested the FO. I gave it to a friend who produced a wonderful
pure palladium print on Cranes natural white wove, the same paper he
gave a few sheets of to me and I had success with.
"palladium solution with ammonium chloride instead of sodium." My
palladium solution is the pre-mixed variety from B&S. Sourcing these
sorts of chemicals is very difficult in Australia. One of our major
photographic suppliers has just stopped carrying all powder
chemistry, so even getting cheap citric acid is a chore. Hence my
reluctance to get stuff like potassium ferrocynide for a test.
I guess I was hoping a whole bunch of people would reply saying
'yeah, that paper is kinda crap' and I'd feel OK about trying
another. I quite like Platine but it is too heavy and white for this
series of photographs.
To Diana: I have always used a hair dryer on these prints, mostly on
cool setting until the other night when I switched to warm to really
dry the bejeesus out of it.
I guess my dilemma is to continue trying to nail the problem, if it
is indeed nailable or to switch to something else. I only get the
chance to print every fortnight or so, though I'm going to try and
make it weekly to make up for lost time. I'm not sure how much longer
I want to get this paper working right only to find I don't have
enough left for an edition! The Cranes natural white wove that I
tested on was quite nice though thinner than the Diploma Parchment
and therefore very weak when wet. I doubt I could get 11x14 easily in
Australia.
It's late here, I'm going to bed. Thanks to all list members for your
valuable suggestions.
Jon
On 09/03/2010, at 4:17 PM, EJ Photo wrote:
> 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.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Alt-photo-process-list | http://altphotolist.org/listinfo
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Alt-photo-process-list | http://altphotolist.org/listinfo
>
> _______________________________________________
> Alt-photo-process-list | http://altphotolist.org/listinfo
>
> _______________________________________________
> Alt-photo-process-list | http://altphotolist.org/listinfo
_______________________________________________
Alt-photo-process-list | http://altphotolist.org/listinfo
More information about the Alt-photo-process-list
mailing list