Judy and others said:
"> Another thought. You have to be very carefull not yo overfix a Van Dyke
> print. Overfixing will bleach the print and, of course, reduce the
contrast. > > Bob Schramm >
Fix in 25 g of sodium thiosulfate per 500 cc of water with *continuous*
agitation for no more than 2 timed minutes.
My tests show, BTW, that after one minute, bleaching begins on a thin
paper, but this gives you a one-minute margin of safety. If you're using
thick paper, do your own tests. Note, however, that in every test I made,
the 3 to 5 minutes given in the books was TOO MUCH. "
Some books suggest a 5% solution of hypo for five minutes. As Judy says 2% for
two minutes is nearer the mark but you can fix by inspection by pulling the
print when the very first perceptible tone appears to be fading.
"Also, I *strongly* advise against giving only a 20-second first rinse as
someone has suggested. As I understand VDB, this would risk leaving
residual iron, which would degrade your print sooner or later (probably
sooner). Also, I see no reason why that could possibly improve contrast --
assuming the rest of your process is OK & you're not just washing off your
image. "
Wash for at least two minutes; any less and your prints will gradually become
flatter amd flatter.
"If your existing negatives are too thin, try intensifying them. I think
greatest intensification with currently available materials would be
chromium intensifier (mixed from your own potassium or ammonium
dichromate), washed and dried & followed by selenium toner, one part
Kodak Rapid Selenium to 2 parts hypoclear or water."
Chrome is an effetive intensifier but there are risks of staining the negs. It
is far safer and more effective to contact the neg to make an inter-positive and
make an inter-negative from the inter-positive increasing the contrast at each
stage.
"No need to leave the print in
the camelia bush. "
The purpose of that little test was to establish whether the technique would
stand up to the elements. I knew that all the materials I was using were
archival but how did what I was doing to them affect the issue. There is the
example of the guy who sold a lot of prints to galleries all over America. When
they started to fade they wanted their money back. So if I try anything new I
hang in a south light for some months.
An extra small hint a la silver chloride s/g print. If you pull a s/g print from
the bromoil bleach after a few seconds and wash and fix and wash it, the result
is a subtle copper toned print.
Terry KIng