[Alt-photo] Re: try one

[andy schmitt]

Hey Matti
Wonderful idea... I had one somewhat similar a while ago, but of course,
notebooked it & there it sits.
I know you are looking to use it as a plate but it looks like a good start
to a dimensional Cu print...
Thanks a bunch for sharing this.

Regards

Andy Schmitt

Head of The New & Improved Photography Dept,
 Peters Valley School of Craft
http://www.petersvalley.org/html/Photography.cfm




-----Original Message-----
From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org
[mailto:alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org] On Behalf Of
Matti Koskinen
Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2013 4:48 AM
To: The alternative photographic processes mailing list
Subject: [Alt-photo] try one

hi,

here's the first try on my way to someday do real photogravure: 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91329867@N06/

I saw in the opening of our annual exhibition a real intaglio, and
developing the idea, how could I do in a cheap way photogravures, I tried
with what I had. First a photo of my son's cousin, at the age of 5. I knew a
way of making printed circuit boards with laser printer, so I googled a bit.
I made crude halftone by converting to bitmap in PS, and printed on a
transparency. Then it took two days and two nights to find suitable curve
and temperature and heating. The toner on the transparency is transferred to
the copper side of a PCB with cloth iron, by heating thru a sheet of paper
the transparency placed on copper. 
Pressing the iron, and slightly moving it, I finally (sort of) succeeded in
getting the toner on the copper. Then the PCB was etched in ferric chloride,
washed and dried. When looking at a suitable angle, the photo is visible.

First I thought of the UV-laquer, but mine had expired in 11/1995, so I
tried this direct laser method. My ferric chloride and the pieces of PCB are
from the same era. Ferric chloride was really exhausted, it took something
between two to three hours to get all the visible copper off. 
As I did the etching outside, because ferric chloride stains everything
badly, the dish I used was not on level, and  having very little of etchant,
the result is not even. But yesterday she had her 15th birthday, and was
really delighted of my gift, this try.

Our art collective has the press for making intaglios, so I need to get a
sheet of copper plus other things, and hone my technique, to get the image
right and then everything else, to do an intaglio.

best

-matti

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