September 2001 Alt-photo-process-l Archive: Re: humidity and fo

From: Robert W. Schramm (schrammrus@hotmail.com)
Date: 09/08/01-07:50:17 AM Z

Shannon,

I suggest that you not use a hairdryer. The heat drying will cause a loss in contrast. With an AC running the relative humidity should drop. Radio Shack has a small electronic thermometer that also measures relative humidity. I have one on the wall of my darkroom. You need to collect some data. As Sherlock Holmes said, "Its folly to theorize before one has sufficient data..." However, as I have successfully put cyanotype on just about every surface, I doubt very much that it is the paper.

Bob Schramm

Check out my web page at:

http://www.SchrammStudio.com

also look at:

http://www.wlsc.wvnet.edu/www/pubrel/photo.html

>From: shannon stoney

>Reply-To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca

>To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca

>Subject: humidity and fogging of cyanotype emulsion

>Date: Sat, 08 Sep 2001 08:41:42 -0500

>I think we have discussed this a little before, but have other

>people

>had problems with cyanotype emulsion fogging while it dries? I am

>back in Houston now, where there's been lots of rain all summer.

>There is still water standing in ditches around our neighborhood

>because there's no place for it to run off to. As a result it is

>quite humid here. I am doing my coating in the house, in AC, and

>drying it in a cabinet in the house, but it is fogging while it

>dries, turning a bit green. This was not happening in TN, where I

>coated at night on the porch and the paper dried with a fan on that

>drew air through the porch. I am wondering what to do to prevent

>this fogging. Should I get a hairdryer and blow dry the paper? Or

>set up some sort of fan in the cabinet to move air around the paper

>while it's drying? Or put a dessicant in there? My partner thinks

>that it shouldn't be very humid in the house since we have the AC

>on,

>but I can't think of any other explanation for why this is

>happening.

>I am using the same paper and emulsion I was using in TN, except

>that

>this time I ordered the bright white Crane's platinotype instead of

>the cream I think.

>--shannon

Re: humidity and fogging of cyanotype emulsion