I am using Platine. I develop in room temperature potassium oxalate. My
sensitizer uses a 7:1 ratio of Pd to Pt. For every 30 drops of
sensitizer I also add one drop of 3% hdrogen peroxide. This makes the
paper a little more contrasty, but more importantly, the paper clears
much more easily.
My negatives need a contrast range of 3.3.
> >an someone who double coats outline their method? I usually find that
> >the Platine soaks up the second coat before I can spread it with my
> >glass rod.
>
> Try sizing first with a 1 % gel of deionised ossein from Bostick and
> Sullivan.
I double coat. I have used both a foam brush and glass rod. The glass
rod is good to about 11x14, but I find the brush better on anything larger.
My method is to mix my sensitizer in a shot glass and then pour it down
the center of my paper -- making a bead from top to bottom. I Make the
bead as quickly as possible and get right to the busines of pushing it
back and forth right away. With a glass rod I make about 8 or 10 passes
until the paper has absorbed the sensitizer.
I let the first coat dry overnight in a paper safe. The second coat is
applied in the same manner. The paper will be slightly more absorbent on
the second coat, but I can usually get by with the same amount of
sensitizer as in the first coat. If you are having difficulty you can
increase the amount of sensitizer for the second coat, or add some water
to increase the volume (this is o.k. as you are still laying the same
amount of Pt, Pd, and FeOx down). It's o.k. to apply a bit of pressure
with the rod to "squeegee" it a bit. Again, I will do about 8 passes or
so.
I let the second coat dry overnight as well.
> >Does anyone humidify their paper before printing? If so, what is your
> >method?
>
> I have covered this more than once in the archive. Place the paper in a
> cupboard with a dish of warm water before coating then fry the paper and
> size humidify again if you have Pd in the mix..
I've never had to humidify. I've experimented with it, but was never
able to improve on what I'm able to get now which is an absolute coal
black Dmax.
I find that the overnight drying, while debilitating to some, is much
easier for me than making humidifying chambers. I also prefer not having
to place my neg in contact with a damp surface. I think that the slow
overnight drying allows some humidity to be absorbed by the paper. You
might expect results to vary depending upon time of year due to changes in
the relative humidity, but even though my house is *very* dry this time of
year I don't notice any changes from Summer.
> >I have found results similar to Judy's- I can see the Pd wash away in
> >the developer if I dry the paper (with a hair dryer, set on warm)
> >immediately after coating. On the other hand, if wait more than 5
> >minutes or so, the print has a "sunken" or dull appearance, as though
> the sensitizer has soaked too far into the paper.
I don't think I have any problems with sunken or dull appearance other
than that due to the unexciting qulaity of some of my photos :)
> You will not have these problems if you size and use a flow of air from a
> fan heater to dry.
I've been fortunate in not having to size the paper. I think the Platine
(on the first coat anyway) is not very absorbent already. I've tried
blow drying -- usually a high heat setting used about 12" from the paper
to dry the paper til bone dry. This has not worked for me. I find the
overnight drying gives me much better prints, a really crackin' Dmax, and
the paper dries flat (it sometimes warps when blow drying).
Good luck!
David Fokos
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