[alt-photo] Re: Subject: Re: paper and cyanotype

[Christina Anderson]

Thanks, Doug. I will definitely do the citric acid thing because of how alkaline that paper is. I do use FAEW, of course, all the time with the traditional formula for gumovers (and lengthy exposures for traditional at that)  but even then the cyanotype is fairly "unhappy." It never "sings" on that paper.

Have you ever tried adding citric to the traditional formula?

Can't wait to get a "speed chart" going of traditional on all these various papers. That is what surprised me most about Buxton was an exposure time of 4 minutes. I could even expose 1/3 stop less if I wanted.
Chris

Christina Z. Anderson
christinaZanderson.com

On Feb 23, 2012, at 3:06 PM, Doug Taylor wrote:

> Hi Chris,
> 
> I used the Ware Cyan a couple months ago on FAEW and also resulted in a brown stain. I added a couple drops of 12% citric acid to the Ware sensitizer, enough for an 8x10 print, in a small glass container and swirled together. Dumped on paper and coated. After exposure, I placed the print in a tray of 1% citric acid for 1 minute, then into a wash, and the stain is completely gone. Don't know if the paper will stay cleared but works in the near term and fairly easy.
> 
> Cheers, Doug
> 
> 
> On Feb 22, 2012, at 10:04 AM, Christina Anderson wrote:
> 
>> Very fascinating, Greg (and Loris). So you all expose bone dry. That would save me tons of time here in 15%-humidity-land. My guess is speed would decrease.
>> 
>> I am through with the first test, cyano and Buxton. Results are interesting. Exposure UVBL under Pictorico is 4mn 1:1 and 2.5mn Ware's, only a 2/3 stop difference on this paper.
>> 
>> Ware's is a more navy/less turquoise blue with a slightly deeper dMax (don't have a densitometer but desaturated and blur/averaged it measures 93 with the eyedropper tool as opposed to 104 for Traditional).
>> 
>> Ware's is a b--ch to clear, and really requires citric acid to get the yellow out (or an hour or more soak time) on this paper. With my water, of course.
>> 
>> Ware's however is a bit snappier in the midtones--may be my coating technique, contact in the printing frame (more doubtful but possible), or, in fact, that Ware's soaks into the paper more easily which it does. Not much problem with pooling. This is a plus, as is one-solution. But in the archives I read of a couple people keeping A and B mixed and using it up to a month or more.
>> 
>> Curve for both is almost the same which did surprise me.
>> 
>> So clearing is the number one complaint about Ware's on this paper--for me.
>> 
>> Now onto Platine and Masa. Really I should do an FAEW next because that is a hard paper for cyano.
>> 
>> It's amazing to go back and test cyano after a decade of alt practice. I mean, I've done curves for cyano with multiple different printers over the years, but I have not done an apple to apple paper comparison, as much as one can make a paper apple to apple. I've just stuck with a few papers (Platine, FAEW, BFK, Weston, Cover).
>> Chris
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Christina Z. Anderson
>> christinaZanderson.com
>> 
>> On Feb 21, 2012, at 9:20 PM, Greg Franco wrote:
>> 
>>> I have also found it easier to get consistent results by exposing bone dry and taking the humidity out of the equation for the most part.  I tested 7 or 8 papers last summer and got my best results using classic formula 1:1 on Arches 140 lbs. hot press watercolor paper developed in .20 % HCL... deeper blues and longer scale than I was able to get on Platine or Cot 320.  The exposure times using HCL development decreased dramatically compared to water development... 120 units on my Nuarc 26-1k(about 4 minutes), whereas it takes 180 units for platinum/palladium.
>>> 
>>> Greg Franco
>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> I can imagine / empathize with your frustration! Only after days of
>>> struggle (in 2003) I remembered reading Christopher James'
>>> recommendation / method of exposing bone dry paper (done thoroughly,
>>> with a hairdryer set to the max. temperature), and that saved my life
>>> - what a relief! Post humidification still stays as a viable
>>> (optional) method; one may get few more steps in the highlights...
>>> 
>>> Very interesting indeed (< 2 mins. exposure), that's in the park of
>>> gum exposures! Never experienced anything like this. Unfortunately
>>> Buxton and the other / new Herschel paper are both out of my scope...
>>> 
>>> Regards,
>>> Loris.
>>>> 
>>> 
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