Re: Sizing Paper for Pt/Pd (was Re: The Gum Project)
Peter Marshall (petermarshall@cix.compulink.co.uk)
Tue, 29 Jul 97 20:40 BST-1
In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.32.19970728210650.0068f348@pop3.frontiernet.net>
> At 11:29 PM 7/28/97 +0100, you wrote:
> >>Return-Path: <alt-photo-process-error@sask.usask.ca>
> >>Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 16:28:05 -0400
> >>From: Terry King <KINGNAPOLEONPHOTO@compuserve.com>
> >>Subject: Re: Sizing Paper for Pt/Pd (was Re: The Gum Project)
> >>To: Tom Ferguson <tomf2468@pipeline.com>
> >>Cc: "[unknown]" <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
> >>Content-disposition: inline
> >>Comments: "alt-photo-process mailing list"
> >>
> >>Message text written by Tom Ferguson
> >>>
> >>While I ran out of "vision" on my Gum/Palladium project, I can't help
> but
> >>be curious. I think I put the palladium down first becuase it made
> the
> >>future registration of the negative easiest! What advantage do you
> get in
> >>putting the palladium down last?
> >><
> >>
> >>Tom
> >>
> >>While it is claimed that gum platinum prints ninety years ago were
> made so
> >>that the gum could give good blacks to platinum/palladium prints, I
> have >>always found it difficult to believe as platinum is the
> medium that
> >>gives the good blacks. That is one reason why I put the
> platinum/palladium
> >>coat on second so that the gum layer will not hide the rich blacks
> of the
> >>platinum. Another reason is to give the gum print delicacy of detail
> in the
> >>highlights, say white lace on a pale background, which is very
> difficult to
> >>achieve with gum by itself. That delicacy would also be obscured if
> the gum
> >>were put over the pt/pd.
> >>
> >>Terry king
> >>
> >
> >Same approach also works very well with kallitypes.
> >Carlos Gasparinho
> >e-mail: nop51076@mail.telepac.pt
>
>
> Carlos,
>
> Perhaps I'm working with something a bit removed but as far as I can
> see,
> the last thing a good kallitype needs is a platinum overcoat -
> especially
> if it is toned with platinum or palladium. In fact, most kallitypes I've
> produced have deeper "blacks" than most platinums.
>
> James
I'd agree 100% with this - the only way it might be worth considering
adding platinum to a kallitype is by the use of a platinum toner. When I
used this the main effect seemed to be a colder tone by the way.
Cassell's Cyclopaedia (1911) states that after the introduction of
platinum printing, platinum toning became almost as popular as gold toning
for silver prints (and in the section on kallitypes states they may be
toned with gold platinum or sulphide toner.) Thus platinum toning of
kallitypes was not uncommon in the old days - yet another problem for
anyone who wants to distinguish vintage kallitype / platinum / Satista.
However Carlos presumably meant that one can print kallitype over a gum to
get good blacks. (So long as you wash it well of course.)
Peter Marshall
On Fixing Shadows and elsewhere:
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Family Pictures, German Indications, London demonstrations &
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