Dichromate/Palladium

Stephen R. Harrison (stephenr@silcom.com)
Fri, 11 Oct 1996 20:42:58 -0700

Has anyone actually carefully compared the difference between
dichromate as a contrast control agent to K-oxalate using Platinotype
Paper? Obviously, for Platine paper, K-oxalate is not effective secondary
to visually obnoxious grain but I do know that platinotype paper is
aesthetically responsive to K-oxalate and does not show the sort of grain
that Platine does. Why use sodium dichromate when K-Oxalate seems as good
and certainly is easier to use? Or is it as good ???? That is my question.

And as long as we are on the subject, why be obsessively
technical and avoid the use of contrast control altogether as Terry King
has mentioned at length. It seems to me that perhaps the we are priding
ourselves on the fact that the patient may die but at least he goes down
the tubes in perfect metabolic condition . More specifically , it seems
reasonable to me that the aesthetics of the print and its content should
supercede the technique in expressing it. I would always prefer a handsome
print even though technically unperfected to a crappy one done well.
Food for thought!

Stephen Harrison