>It is best to dampen the brush first by dipping it in purified water and
then squeezing >the water out with some absorbent tissue such as kitchen
towel.
Terry, I did wet it and squeeze out the water--perhaps I dried it too
much? The first two prints worked beautifully but the on third and fourth
attempts the solution got sucked right up into the brush. I'm trying
again later, I'll let you know how it goes.
>>2) On this third print, the solution did not cover enough so I let it
dry and I added a >>second coat. The resulting print had much deeper
blacks in the areas coated >>twice. The print also looked grainy. I
suspect in my attempts to >>spread the emulsion, I was too rough and that
was the cause?
>I find that if you get the negative right and the coating right there is
no need for >second coating. A second coat will distort the contrast but
it is better to get the neg >right first. So make sure that your brush
is damp and that you have enough >emulsion to cover smoothly.
>>3) OK, one more. Does platinum have a similar exposure curve to silver?
I.E., will I see the same increase in density with a 2X exposure as I do
in printing silver?>
>As you have covered the whole surface ( in theory ! ) with solution,
>once you have passed the optimum exposure, you will lose contrast, as
the
>overall density increases, untill you have an overall black. I would
>be interested to know why you think you need an answer to this question.
>
>Terry King
I want to know because I don't have a standard neg or a densitometer so
I'm winging it. With a silver print I know what a one stop increase in
exposure will do, that's why I'm curious about how platinum reacts. If
the first print is too light, I could use ome basis to judge my next
exposure. BTW, on the print I coated twice, I also gave it double the
exposure. The blacks were much richer. They weren't however, on the
sections that didn't receive a full second coat. Yes, I know I broke the
rules on scientific experimentation--change only one variable at a
time--I got ahead of myself.
David
dkern@juno.com