Platinum/palladium

David B Kern (dkern@juno.com)
Thu, 24 Jul 1997 17:24:03 -0400 (EDT)

Hey Gord, sorry about the off list message--I guess I'm still getting the
hang of this.

Regarding pt/pd vs. gravure, Gordon Hotslander writes,
>Platinum is much easier, you mix the emulsion solutions, coat the paper,
>dry it and expose the print.

>I would try platinum before you delve into photo-mechanical stuff.
>Photo-mechanical stuff is great but you have a lot of "overhead"
>involved.

>Platinum is ususally not considered soft - it is capable of reproducing
>the finest detail. It is capable of producing a far more subtle tonal
>gradations than silver. If you want a warmer tone print palladium - it
>has a much warmer tone than platinum - though it is still capable of
>reproducing a lot of fine detail.

I mistakenly wrote that I wanted a "soft" feel; rather, I should have
written that I'm after more of a tactile quality than silver prints
offer.

I just picked the PhotoTechniques issue with Carl Weese's article on
Ziatype. Thanks for the tip, Carl! I think I will give that process a try
first because it offers me the possibility to control contrast a little
better and I can find a tone that best suits the subject matter. Can I
control tone much with pt/pd? I tend to make silverprints on the neutral
to cool side but warmer tones may be nice for my next project.

Regarding enlarged negatives, what method should I employ? I'm shooting
645 and wish to print in 4X5 and 8X10. Is there a particular
film/developer combination that works best? Or, will I be better off
going with a digital negative?

Also, I suppose the more I know about pt/pd, the better my Ziatypes will
be. What is the best reference source?

Thanks!!

David Kern
dkern@juno.com