[alt-photo] Re: sizing options for color gum

[Peter Blackburn]

Fair enough, to each his or her own. I originally kept an iron around as a "quick fix" to help flatten papers which exhibited too much curl and buckling.

Peter J. Blackburn

 > From: dhbloomfield at bellsouth.net
> To: alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org
> Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:51:52 -0500
> Subject: [alt-photo] Re: sizing options for color gum
> 
> Thanks, Peter.
> 
> I actually did all but #3 on your list.  Honestly, I don't even think  
> I own an iron (and don't plan on buying one any time soon).
> 
> The final coat  (unsized) was actually fine; I certainly would have  
> had no problem exhibiting it.  In a side-by-side comparison, though, I  
> simply didn't like it as much as the one I made with a thin coating of  
> PVA, so -- as stated before-- I'll happily go back to using that.  My  
> preference is subjective, for sure; I could have shown it to someone  
> else, and he/she may have liked the other better.
> 
> And I don't actually find using PVA a problem-- at all.  It's non- 
> toxic, relatively inexpensive, lasts forever, extraordinarily easy to  
> use, doesn't leave a shine when I apply it, and takes very little time  
> to apply (certainly less time than ironing-- though, at this point, I  
> can barely remember what ironing is like??).
> 
> Thanks again.
> 
> Diana
> 
> On Jan 17, 2012, at 8:35 AM, Peter Blackburn wrote:
> 
> >
> > Just a brief follow up on this portion of Diana's comment,  "I know  
> > you're already aware of all this, and this isn't specifically
> >> what you asked--  but I also recently printed an image on Fabriano
> >> soft-press without sizing all, using what was only in the paper.  It
> >> did really well, though I felt the third coat wasn't as "clean" as I
> >> would have preferred-- so I just went back to using the PVA.  I just
> >> know for sure, using that, that I won't have a problem." My  
> >> suggestions would be 1) be certain the chosen pigments are capable  
> >> of printing "clean" on out-of-the-package Fabriano if brilliant  
> >> highlights are desired. 2) be certain the paper is completely dry  
> >> between coats, and 3) before applying an additional coat, try  
> >> ironing the paper with the iron set on a midrange heat selection.  
> >> AKD is a type of synthetic wax which "melts" under heat. Ironing  
> >> the paper will restore a bit of smoothness while rejuvenating the  
> >> residing AKD in the paper.  Cheers everyone!
> > Peter J. Blackburn
> 
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