Re: Ammonium Citrate vs Ziatype


Richard Sullivan (richsul@earthlink.net)
Fri, 09 Apr 1999 08:53:55 -0600


Steve,

If you are looking for color control with pure pd I suggest that you
investigate the Ziatype process. Color can be controlled chemically. The
expense is only fractionally more than for the traditional developing process.

You can get totally neutral blacks with pure pd using just the lithium
palladium with ammonium ferric oxalate. Subtle warm tones can be obtained
by small additions of sodium tungstate. More warmth through sepia tones
prints can be had by the addition of more sodium tungstate, using cesium
chloropalladite, or using lithium ferric oxalate in place of the ammonium
ferric oxalate.

Oh, and it is a POP process as well.

I just finished the Whaley biography of A. Steiglitz, which is excellent by
the way. It says that Steiglitz complained bitterly about the brown color
he got when he had to switch to palladium paper in 1917 due to the Russian
Revolution. A.S. really thought the platinum black was the only color for
a gentleman's photograph

--Dick Sullivan

At 03:20 AM 4/9/99 -0400, you wrote:
>I've recently started Pt/Pd printing, and I need some opinions. I'm using
>only palladium at the moment until my skills are up to spec. I'd like to
>produce some cooler tone
>images and I'm wondering if Ammonium Citrate developer is the way to go. All
>of the references to it in the archives seem to be negative. Should I just
>spring for some platinum and
>get the color I want that way, or is this developer a good
>alternative? I am currently using potassium oxalate, coating on Arches
>Platine, and controlling contrast with the ratios of ferric ox #1 and #2
>(usually 3:1). What drawbacks, if any, will I encounter using Ammonium
>Citrate with these materials?
>Thanks.
>
>Steve

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