Re: Double Coating of Platine

William Laven (wmlaven@platinotype.com)
Sat, 28 Feb 1998 12:54:43 -0800 (PST)

>Bill Laven writes:
>>
>>I regularly double coat Platine paper. Diluting the second coat with
>>distilled water is helpful because the second coating is absorbed much more
>>quickly than the first; a little more solution helps considerably. Start by
>>adding 1/4 the quantity of sensitizer. Between coats I let it air dry from
>>5-15 minutes; it changes with the humidity, batch of paper, phase of the
>>moon, phase of my mood, etc etc, just like every other step in the process.
>>I then use a hair dryer on it, but dry only the sensitizer side -- dry the
>>front AND back of the paper after the second coat. Its important that your
>>drying procedure be consistent and repeatable.
>
>As an example, if we are doing an 8x10 inch neg and use in the first coat
>24 drops of #1 soln and 24 drops of pt+pd , then the second coat would be 6
>drops of #1 and 6 drops of pt+pd added to 36 drops of distilled water ??
>Are you applying the first or second coats with an puddle pusher or a
>brush. I ask because when I tried to apply the second coat, it was absorbed
>so fast, I never made to all the way across and there was a very uneven
>application. Are you using Tween in either coat?
>
>Stephen Harrison

Stephen,

Sorry. My first explanation was unclear. The first coat would receive 24
drops of #1 and 24 drops of Pt; the second coat would also receive 24 drops
#1 and 24 drops Pt and 12 drops of distilled H2O. I don't use Tween, but am
going to try some in the future. As others' posts have explained, Platine
is inconsistent in it's manufacture and so some batches require Tween and
others don't. I'm still working with a batch that doesn't need it, but I
suppose I should have some on hand just in case. In addition to the paper
as a variable is the user's preference. For a long time I would use B&S's
goop with Platinotype paper, then stopped using it when I switched from a
brush to a coating rod. "The more things change, the more things stay the
same" holds for politics, but not for Pt/Pd printing!

Good luck,
Bill

*************************************************************************
WILLIAM LAVEN PHOTOGRAPHY

Offering Platinum/Palladium printing services and workshops and tutorials
in Pt/Pd printing and other areas of photography (Zone System, etc.)

1931 23rd Street, San Francisco, CA, 94107
415-647-9432 (voice) 415-647-9438 (fax)
wmlaven@platinotype.com
www.platinotype.com

*************************************************************************