Re: Desk top paper negatives - wax?

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From: Christina Z. Anderson (tracez@mcn.net)
Date: 01/28/01-04:55:10 PM Z


> Just wondering (as I'm new to the list and have not read all the archives)
why
> don't y'all use the semi transparent 'paper' that was used for technical
drawings
> (in the pre CAD aera)? Don't know the english word, translatred from dutch
it would
> be something like "chalk paper". It comes in a vary of qualities, from
plain paper
> to PE- or PP-coated (the backside that is). The surface seems to have a
very fine
> "dust like layer" on it that absorbs the ink quickly, so no drying
problems.
> Ingo

I think you are referring to vellum? Anyway, below I have just finished
compiling a two page handout for students on making paper negatives. I had
stored some letters from this list and others in a file, and used that info
and any book I could find on the subject of paper negatives. Then, lastly
(should've been firstly) I got out my Post Factory Journal and found in
there any info on the process that anyone could POSSIBLY want. So I would
strongly urge a subscription to the PF journal, plus any remaining back
issues. It would save a lot of time researching, to be sure. (Judy, I am
NOT the type to copy whole sections of the journal and hand out to students
because I feel that is wrong, but I will share subscription info with
students).
     I am copying parts of my handout, below, without sending it as an
attachment, in case anyone is interested. I do apologize if this post is
too long. It also includes Mortenson's method, that Richard Sullivan talks
about.

     Here's how to do it: expose a negative in the enlarger onto BW photo
paper (preferably single weight fiber or RC; make sure there is no
manufacturer logo on the back); print your image 25%-50% flatter and darker
than normal, so that there is information in both highlights and shadows.
Process normally. At this stage, with your "positive" print processed and
dried (let's call it a diapositive), you can take a pencil and add density
where you want to the back of the print, remembering that added pencil will
increase darkness on the diapositive and will translate into thinness in the
paper "negative" during your next step, and then darkness in your final
print.
     When the retouching is complete, contact print the diapositive to
another piece of photo paper, emulsion to emulsion, using glass to flatten
the sandwich if needs be. This results in your final paper negative, which
can also be retouched. The negative is also printed emulsion to emulsion to
produce the final print, and thus the image will "right" itself.
     Save yourself a step in this process and print a slide onto RC paper to
make your negative. If you do this, remember to print the slide emulsion
side up in the enlarger to make sure the image is not reversed in the final
print, since you will only be doing two back-and-forth steps instead of
three.
     There is some disagreement as to what creates more of the paper texture
to be visible in the final print. One camp says that the waxing of the
negative, below, actually makes the paper grain stand out more, and that to
decrease paper grain you must print your first diapositive through the back
of the paper uppermost, and then again make your paper negative with the
back of the paper against the emulsion side of the diapositive. The grain
will thus cancel each other out. You can experiment with this. I would
assume, since you are trying this process in the first place, that texture
in your final image is not a bad thing. It's not as if you can expect an
f64 print from a paper negative!
     Others say that to make the negative more transparent, contrastier, and
the final image less affected by the paper texture, you can use one of the
following number of ways:
1) Peel the paper backing from the plastic emulsion front of the RC print.
Tape the edges afterwards with clear tape to keep the negative from curling.
Or,
2) Coat the front of the RC print with acrylic medium a number of times, and
then soak and rub off the backing paper. Or,
3) Using an iron, iron the print to warm it, and then rub with a paraffin
stick to melt the paraffin onto the negative. Iron again, between blotter
paper, smoothly and evenly. You can do this on top of a cookie sheet lined
with blotter paper, or on top of silicone release paper (the kind you use to
bake cookies), or regular paper. Or,
4) Use mineral or vegetable oil to make the print transparent. This may be
messier, and may have to be reapplied with time as it evaporates. Or,
5) Use beeswax to wax the print as above; a cheap source for this is 'toilet
seal' in the hardware store. Or,
6) Use one of these formulae for your transparentizer: 1 oz. castor oil
mixed with 6 oz. alcohol. Or, 4 oz. paraffin mixed with 1 oz. linseed
oil: melt at 176? and soak print; let dry between blotting paper. Or, use
5 parts mineral oil to 1 part alcohol. Or, rub in white vaseline on the
wrong side of the print, using a clean rag and allow to stand.
     Wow, it seems that lots of people have experimented with this
technique!
     The waxing process can be done easily with negatives made with Xerox or
laser printer toner. With ink jet "negatives", you don't have to wax them.
You can print them out on regular paper and use as is; you can take your
slide to Kinko's and have them reverse the image to a negative and have it
printed out for you, to save having to make a positive and then a negative.
Or, you can print the ink jet negative on acetate, for a clearer base.
     A good material for printing desktop negatives is Pictorico OHP
transparency film. This material has a special ceramic coating, which takes
inkjet ink very well without a lot of dot gain
(bleeding). It also seems to dry very well. Refer to:
http://www.pictorico.com/lproduct.asp?id=4
     Back to paper negatives in the darkroom: if you really want to get
into this paper negative process, try an old technique that William
Mortenson taught in his photography school in California in the 30's and
40's:
1. Set up the enlarger with a negative focused and ready to print. Mark
exactly where the negative will project.
2. In the darkroom and under safelight, take a piece of fresh unexposed
enlarging paper and soak it in a tray of developer for 3 minutes.
3. Lay the wet enlarging paper face up on a sheet of glass or similar
material and squeegee the excess developer off. Use a paper towel to blot
up any spots or runs. Work quickly to prevent staining.
4. Place the glass and paper under the enlarger, registering it accurately
with your marks.
5. Turn on the enlarger.
6. Nothing will happen for about 20 seconds; soon after, you will see the
shadow areas of the print darken, then the midtones, and then the
highlights. The print will go from negative to gray to positive as you
watch it.
7. When you think it is done, place in stop, fix, wash and dry. This is
the diapositive. It will have soft shadows and look weird.
8. Work the back of the print, if needs be, with a charcoal pencil to
adjust the print. Fix charcoal marks with a fixative spray.
10. Place this diapositive and a fresh sheet of unexposed enlarging paper
in a tray of water for three minutes.
11. Place the two sheets of wet paper, the unexposed sheet and the
diapositive, emulsion to emulsion, and squeegee them to the glass. Make
sure the diapositive is on top.
12. Expose through the back of the diapositive under the enlarger light
(the negative has been removed from the enlarger).
13.Put in stop, fix, and dry.
14. Use charcoal pencil again to dodge highlights, if needs be, on this now
negative.
15. Follow steps 10-13 to make prints (or just contact print your dried
negative onto dry photo paper).


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