Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Sat, 27 Nov 1999 02:25:51 -0500 (EST)
On Fri, 26 Nov 1999, Darlington Media Group wrote:
> Try several changes of 'development' water over a period of 30 min to an
> hour. (Your print should, of course, be upside down in the tray to prevent
> staining) Immerse the print in a "u" shape to prevent trapping air bubbles.
> Then carefully remove the print and place it face upwards on top of a layer
> of paper towels on a flat surface. Carefully remove any excess water from
> the borders with some more paper tissue, ensuring that you do not touch the
> delicate image area. Now use a hair dryer on low heat at a distance of
> about 18 inches, dry the surface, keeping the hair dryer moving. You can
> pause after a minute or so and clear the border and any highlights with
> small twists of tissue.
Tony, I've read that in various sources, but have never myself succeeded
in hair-dryering just highlights so development could continue in an even
"photographic" way... because the paper doesn't dry evenly, rather in
blobs and blotches.
Likewise, if the pigment is still running seriously, "blotting" except in
clear open areas is likely to bungle a delicate passage. If done at all it
seems to work best to use a small twist of absorbent cotton on a sharpened
stick. But my take on the situation Joao described is that a little
blotting isn't going to solve it...
I'd suggest changing the mix, to a higher proportion of dichromate (he
doesn't say what he's using) which will make a harder emulsion, and/or
exposing longer. Each mix is different, so it's hard to generalize, but my
feeling is that a longer exposure will come to the same point of
development without staining if you develop longer.
The other point is that if it's just a one-coat gum, some *light* staining
is not only acceptable, but often attractive. Sarah Van Keuren and I
discuss this issue in PF #3, by the way...
Judy
> .................................................................
| Judy Seigel, Editor >
| World Journal of Post-Factory Photography > "HOW-TO and WHY"
| info@post-factory.org >
| <http://rmp.opusis.com/postfactory/postfactory.html>
.................................................................
> You can, if you wish, return the print to the water tray after the
> highlights and midtones are dry. This should give you greater detail in the
> shadow areas.
>
> The balance between exposure and development is something you will have to
> determine for yourself. Some printers give longer exposure and use brush or
> water spray to remove the unhardened gum/pigment. Personally, I prefer the
> automatic development technique as described above. Probably because I am
> lethal with a brush in my hands. <g>
>
> Good luck ......Tony McLean
>
>
>
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