[alt-photo] Re: canson and cyanotype

[Christina Anderson]

You're welcome, Mary, and so glad that you are teaching. I hope you will also start teaching gum??

I was surprised to like this paper, btw., as it seems foreign to me to get a good paper out of a sketchbook kind of device. I am such a paper snob....but for some reason the feel of large 22x30 sheets seems more luxurious than a sketchbook.

OH, one last thing, the paper is spiral bound but then it had a whatever it is called, a tear line/perforation line to make a clean edge.
Chris

Christina Z. Anderson
christinaZanderson.com

On Mar 2, 2012, at 10:43 AM, Mary wrote:

> Thanks for this, Chris. I'll be leading a one-day workshop on "scanotypes" in early May at a local printmaking studio here in Boise, Wingtip Press. We'll be scanning stuff, making digital negatives from the scans, and printing cyanotypes. At least that's the plan. Hoping it's not too much for one day....
> 
> We'll provide various papers and fabrics to print on during the workshop, and participants often ask for suggestions of good papers to use for cyanotype. This sounds like a great option for both in-class and after. Can't beat the price!
> 
> Thanks again for the tip!
> Mary
> 
> On 3/2/2012 8:46 AM, Christina Anderson wrote:
>> Dear All,
>> 
>> Still testing papers for cyanotype, 8 more yesterday with another 8 or so to go, but I found one which is an absolute must for teaching because of its cost, URL below. It is available at Freestyle for--get this--$9 for 100 sheets (plus shipping) for 11x14. It is quite white, quite smooth, prints cyanotype very well, Traditional formula 1:1 is about a 7.5 to a 9.5 minute exposure time if under a Pictorico negative. Temp in darkroom 72, humidity 30%.
>> 
>> It is apparently Crob Art (?) in Europe so altees there would already know about it under a different name.
>> 
>> http://freestylephoto.biz/702193-Canson-Universal-Sketch-Pad-Uncoated-Paper-for-Alternative-Process
>> 
>> I usually have them start on Weston for cyanotype because it is so cheap and really a nice paper for its cost (hard to do a two layer process though), somewhere around $2 for a very large sheet over 22x30. So you understand why I am excited about the above. Heck, I could sport for a $10 pad for the entire class and each student could do 5 prints for around 50 cents!
>> 
>> It is very thin so I was skeptical, but is actually quite sturdy when dry.
>> 
>> I will be testing it as well with argyrotype and pt/pd but that is down the road. If it works for those processes, then I can see requiring one pad for each student for the semester, but we'll see...anyone already use it for these processes?
>> 
>> Also, tested Canson Opalux Vellum also from Freestyle now, and that would be about a 6 minute exposure time, same everything Traditional. It is a VERY thick vellum, about twice as thick as a Vidalon. See thru. Quite translucent as you can read text through it except through darkest cyano steps.
>> 
>> Disclaimer: I am on the Freestyle Educational Advisory Board but in no way do I get paid or get kickbacks or whatever. But I sure do get excited when they decide to carry alt supplies...
>> 
>> Chris
>> 
>> Christina Z. Anderson
>> christinaZanderson.com
>> 
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