[alt-photo] Daniel Smith paper chart!

[Christina Anderson]

Dear LIst,

http://www.danielsmith.com/Docs_PDF/ComparativePaperChart.pdf

Found the above link today which is going to come in handy as I test 20 or so papers in different processes for the revision of my Alt Proc Cond book. This week it is Ware's vs. Traditional Cyanotype.

Paper specificity (and humidity, 18%) are the bane of my existence at the moment. There are some papers that are pretty darn foolproof with processes like argyrotype and cyanotype--Weston, Platine, Crane's Cover, Cot320, for instance. Some others are very unsuitable without going to the next step of citric acid in the mix, tween, oxalic acid soak of the paper, etc., not always the best to do when first teaching processes to students (one more step).

What is the story of Cot 320--is it continuing to be made or only made a couple times a year or what?

Next question: am I right that Kinsella closed? And, of course, Aiko in IL closed, too, a number of years back because I bought a bunch of paper from them...

Sorry for the Americentric question, but I think the big paper sellers in the States are the following; am I missing a favorite seller of someone's?

Jerry's Artarama
Daniel Smith
NY Central
http://www.hiromipaper.com/ 

www.dolphinpapers.biz
Legion paper 

The other bane of my existence is the sudden and automatic Apple printer driver updates that wreak havoc with the printer. My students had a BUST assignment with argyrotype even with suitable papers, and custom curves a la PDN.  I was beginning to fear for this class's intelligence until finally a former student who is doing the uranotype found his tonal palette was all over the place too and being that he works in Checkout and runs the equipment we got it figured out. So uninstalling the Apple driver and reinstalling the 3800 driver downloaded from Epson did the trick. Those of you with Apple auto updates--if you all of a sudden have issues, this could be the problem. It's a sneaky little bugger. Those of you using the QTR driver, I suppose this wouldn't be an issue.

Weeks like this make me want to retire from teaching alt :) Thank GOD for a long holiday weekend.

Chris

Christina Z. Anderson
christinaZanderson.com