FotoDave@aol.com
Date: 02/17/00-10:02:01 AM Z
In a message dated 2/17/00 1:58:26 AM Eastern Standard Time,
jseigel@panix.com writes:
> I think another factor of the hardener is how long the size lasts -- ie,
> how many coats & soaks you can do without having to resize.
> ....
> .... Does the size seem very long-lasting?
I think I should clarify what I said in my previous mail about the
gelatin+alum size seems to be no better nor worse than gelatin - glyoxal
size. I should say that it doesn't look better or worse only in my method
which use only 2, at most 3 coats.
I read that glyoxal hardens gelatin similar the formaldehyde. Chrome alum
hardens slower but is an effective hardener as well. Potassium alum hardens
less. Food/grocery alum hardens even less, so I have no doubt that my
gelatin+food alum doesn't size as strong as glyoxal, but it works for 2-3
coats.
I have been working on tests with gum and SDC (related but different from
gum). My aim for SDC was to control it to get the deep matte black *and*
smooth tonality *and* desired gradation in *one* coat. I did achieve those
for test purposes, but in order to get that, the difficulty actually shifted
from the printing process to the making of the negative (masking must be
used) and everything else must be perfect: perfect negative, perfect emulsion
mix, perfect exposure, perfect development - a slight different in each step
would make the whole scale shift.
So although I did achieve it in one coat and it satisfied my curiosity, I
knew that in producing actual works it would be easier to achieve the same
thing in 2 coats; so in all my tests I have used only 2 coats. Since these
were only tests, I simply put aside anything that didn't look right in 2
coats although if it was for actual work, I could print the 3rd coat.
What I am saying is that I haven't tried many 3 coats with the gelatin+alum
size. I elieve I have used 3 coats only once to make a print. When I get a
chance (right now I am behind in making SDC samples, and a few
print-of-the-month prints in SDC, and some works for a publication, plus
normal non-photographic works to put rice on the table), I will try 3 or more
coatings with gelatin+alum size and report to the list.
Dave Soemarko
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