Re: Reply: Paper Negatives

Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Wed, 03 Jun 1998 16:45:45 -0400 (EDT)

On Wed, 3 Jun 1998 GIWINTER@aol.com wrote:

> Having tried several methods of seperating the backing paper I have found that
> Sterling VC paper separates much easier than Ilford paper though it still
> takes quite a lot of patients. Once I have started on a corner I find it
> helps to roll the paper around a metal tube as I pull the sheet apart, this
> seems to reduce the wrinkling of the paper.

Guy and all:

Of all the things I have abjectly failed at in life, among the most
perfect was my failure to separate the surface from the backing of RC
paper.... That was many years ago and it's possible the paper is now made
differently (or people are made differently), but the descriptions of the
process I've read make it sound tiresome at best.

So my question is, now that some of the new silver gelatin emulsions seem
so much improved, might it not be easier simply to coat a rather thin
paper, perhaps a translucent vellum, perhaps something like Bienfang, and
print that for "paper negative"? (A visitor today mentioned Cachet's Black
Magic Emulsion, which he said is made in Germany with Teutonic
thoroughness.) I myself haven't used any of these emulsions, perhaps
there are other impediments, perhaps coating the paper is MORE tedious ...
but perhaps not?

Judy