Carl Weese (cjweese@wtco.net)
Thu, 25 Mar 1999 07:23:39 -0500
Carl, Salto:
Your Ziatype problem sounds like a lack of practice with the physical
process of coating. It *does* take practice to do it well, and the
larger the print, the more difficult it is.
For the paper you are using, first I recommend glass rod coating, rather
than a brush. Second, use just enough coating, not a skimpy or overly
generous amount. How much can only be learned by trial and error. Third,
store the paper dry (50% rh or below) and humidify (a cool mist
humidifier works well) just before coating. If you store and coat your
paper at 60% rh or higher, Arches Platine will be a better choice.
Finally, the coated platinotype paper should be surface dried with cold
forced air after coating, then printed. It will become blotchy or grainy
if left to dry without forced air. Platine can be dried either way.
The "sharpness" difference between point sources and diffuse light boxes
is real but neither one is "better". The point of a platinum print can
often be lost if we seach for the same qualities we want in a silver
print (intense dmax, ultimate smooth surface resolution)--might as well
just print in silver if those are the goals. I use the "soft" diffusion
lightbox, but then I also prefer to print from negatives developed in
pyro: their enhanced edge adjacency may be a factor that compensates for
the lightsource in the final impression of visual acuity.
Let me know if I can answer any other questions.---Carl
Carl Weese
co-author, The New Platinum Print
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