[alt-photo] Re: back to the flaking/speckling question

[Paul Viapiano]

No...actually in my experience I like to have a "known" mixture for tricolor 
gums if I'm looking for a "realistic" print. I treat these as process 
colors/inks and just lay them down. For alternative tricolor palettes, it's 
all up for grabs.

I measure pigment with a digital scale, usually 1 gram to 9 ml gum. That's 
about the smallest quantity I make. I'll use approx 4 ml of that mixture 
(plus dichromate) to coat a 9" x 14" print...once again, this is for 
photorealistic-style prints.

Paul



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julian Smart" <juliansmart at virginmedia.com>
To: "The alternative photographic processes mailing list" 
<alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org>
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 12:49 PM
Subject: [alt-photo] Re: back to the flaking/speckling question


> Hi Paul, perhaps I should have phrased my question slightly differently.
>
> I know all the variables relating to pigment concentration in the mix. 
> What I don't understand is how you quantify a ratio. I personally just 
> squeeze out a worm of pigment onto a saucer, then add 5ml of gum. The 
> amount I squeeze out is usually down to experience and will vary according 
> to the exact pigment and the contrast I am after. The ratio of pigment in 
> the gum emulsion will therefore vary but there is always 5ml of gum in 
> there.
>
> In order to have a quantifiable  pigment/gum ratio, one would have to 
> weigh the pigment out and then assign a "strength" value to the mix. This 
> would be easy to do if one were to mix up an entire tube of pigment with 
> gum, as a stock solution- I know a lot of printers do just this, 
> especially those practicing 4 colour gums as the necessary consistency 
> would be there. Perhaps this is what you do?
>
> Julian.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Paul Viapiano" <viapiano at pacbell.net>
> To: "The alternative photographic processes mailing list" 
> <alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org>
> Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 8:01 PM
> Subject: [alt-photo] Re: back to the flaking/speckling question
>
>
>> Well, it depends on how much saturation you're looking for vs flaking 
>> problems vs the number of layers you anticipate putting down...for 
>> tricolors I have a specific ratio I like for *my* methods and *my* 
>> negatives. It'll be different for everyone...for single neg multi layer 
>> gums I experiment a lot, but since I've put the time in to learn the 
>> process and kept really good notes along the way, I'm able to have more 
>> confidence.
>>
>> I don't like to use water in my mixture, so I look at the gum/pigment 
>> ratio as a way to control the saturation, and realize that once 
>> developed, gum will tend to look less saturated than you expect. Of 
>> course, your dichromate ratio willl have a say in that as well...
>>
>> It took me a year of solid printing to nail all my variables down, or at 
>> least understand them a lot better and have a more reasonable expectation 
>> of the outcome, or at least how to push the print in a certain direction. 
>> But then, gum isn't usually about control...which can be it's charm.
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Julian Smart" <juliansmart at virginmedia.com>
>> To: "The alternative photographic processes mailing list" 
>> <alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org>
>> Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 11:02 AM
>> Subject: [alt-photo] Re: back to the flaking/speckling question
>>
>>
>>> This has been puzzling me since the first posting in this thread. 
>>> Forgive me for my ignorance but how do you arrive at a gum/pigment 
>>> ratio?
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Paul Viapiano" <viapiano at pacbell.net>
>>> To: "The alternative photographic processes mailing list" 
>>> <alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org>
>>> Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 5:47 PM
>>> Subject: [alt-photo] Re: back to the flaking/speckling question
>>>
>>>
>>>> What's your gum/pigment ratio on the affected print?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
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