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There are many Direct Carbon processes



Hi Again, My computer is taking over............aaaaaaghhhhh ! ! 
     To continue...From what I have read, Gum and any process which uses a 
colloid containing a pigment to make the image as opposed to a metalic 
chemical reaction  could be regarded as Direct Carbon if  a satisfactory 
exposure containing the tonal range desired can be made in one shot. This 
does not, of course include Carbon Transfer which is a completely different 
process altho' carbon is the pigment which makes the  latent image visible in 
both cases.
            Artigue, Fresson and Echague are reported to have used variations 
on a basic system which has been kept  secret and out of the public domain 
since it was first discovered ACCIDENTALLY around the end of the 1870's.(Luis 
Nadeau's "Gum Dichromate" pub 1987). I  wish I could emulate and I admire the 
tenacity which has made this possible  but feel very strongly that others 
should be given a chance, as I was,  to do research to find their own way of 
making  Direct Carbon paper since it is, now, no longer produced commercially 
by Fresson.

           The sawdust method of development is the fascinating aspect which 
I have found suits my leaning towards direct manipulation by hand of certain  
photo subjects allowing changes in contrast and localised control of pigment 
to be made in the print.  This is simlar in a way to the controls used by 
traditional bromide printers "dodging and burning in"  at the exposure stage 
of enlargememt but the big differences here, of course, are the facts that 
with Direct Carbon you are working in room lighting and can take time to 
decide on your  moves....as you would in Bromoil inking. Also, there is a 
huge range of paper surfaces to choose from as in many alt processes. The use 
of many of these papers has its attendant problems which has been a great 
issue in my own research covering many thousands of hours trial and error 
since 1991.

                          Cheers. John Grocott-Photographist. London, England
            http://hometown.aol.co.uk/grafist/myhomepage/artgallery.html