Nick Makris (nick@mcn.org)
Sun, 07 Nov 1999 11:40:41 -0800
Jeff (off list),
Have you ever tried the Backlight film exposed with the sun? Or, did you
ever find the answer the problem(s) described below? I recently sent a
question to the list, regarding paper negs, asking if anyone has used any of
the transparency films for PT/PD successfully - I never received a reply.
I'm looking for some final direction without having to reinvent the wheel.
Many thanks,
Nick
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeffrey Bunting <jrb@maui.net>
To: alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca
<alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca>
Cc: bladediris@aol.com <bladediris@aol.com>
Date: Saturday, August 14, 1999 4:56 PM
Subject: Epson negs
>Aloha,
>Here's my experience in hopes of a helpfull reply. I have been trying to
>make large format negs via the Burkholder method. I am printing Step
>Tablets, & have an Epson 1200 6 ink printer. I have tried the following
>materials to print onto, 3M transperancy(for HPinkjets), Epson Backlit
film,
>Epson Transperancy material, and Epson Photo Paper.
>The 3M material, is rather gritty and sticky out of the box, but takes
>enough ink to make a decent neg (enough density in the neg) and is the most
>usefull so far, though it never loses it's stickiness, and I assume that
use
>of a barrier material would be necessary between the neg and the paper. I
am
>using Zia materials and unless I use a barrier (Plastic food wrap) I always
>seem to deposit some paper fibers on this material with exposure, leaving
>what looks like small dark fuzzy growths on the neg, making it useless for
>further exposures.
>The Epson Backlit Film takes ink the best, printing on the clay side, has
>the best tonality but even with mineral oil applied, the exposures are too
>long to be of any use. A 1 1/2 hour exposure, with my exposure unit (which
>can get a Dmax with Zia in about 5 minutes or less) doesn't get to Dmax in
>the print through the Backlit film. I am thinking of trying to increase
>contrast in the Zia emulsion, but that is only likely to increase exposure
>time. Still the same problem with the emulsion coming off onto the neg
>during printing, and especially with mineral oil use of a barrier between
>the neg and print would seem necessary.
>The Epson Transperancy doesn't make a dense enough neg with the color table
>method of filling the image either 0c-55m-55y-0k or 0c-71m-71y-0k. When I
do
>get enough ink (with the addition of black ink) to begin to block the
>exposure enough, the ink has pooled.
>I haven't gotten to a test of the Epson paper for negs, though the prints
on
>it look lovely, I was hoping to avoid the paper texture in my prints.
>I plan to try some Clear Film (Weber Valentine CKC-44) but wonder if it has
>a better surface to absorb the inks than the Epson tranny.
>I have followed the steps in the book to my best ability, I can adjust the
>curves simply enough using transfer curves. The Backlit film base is too
>dense to get a complete exposure, even with oiling. And using the color
>table method and colorized method with the Epson tranny material is too
thin
>to block enough light to keep the steps from going too dark, and if I do
>put down enough ink to block the exposure it has pooled by then. The
>Emulsion lifting off of the paper and onto the neg is not that big a
>problem, I think I can control it with either the barrier material between
>the neg and the paper, or controling the humidity of the paper better. I
>probably tend to humidify the paper to excess.
>
>Thanks, Jeff
>
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