From: Jeffrey D. Mathias (jeffrey.d.mathias@att.net)
Date: 12/11/02-10:03:31 AM Z
Sandy King wrote:
> ... I have always assumed that with pt/pd
> one is pretty much stuck with neutral black to warm black color,
> depending on the mixture of platinum to palladium. Is this true, or
> can the image color of pt/pd be changed? ...
> ... When Witho was here he showed me some of his
> split-toned work but I was not sure exactly how he achieved the
> color. When terms like cesium and lithium are used I no longer
> understand if this is in the pt/pd, or represents some other variant.
> What I did gather from Witho was that the use of these other metals
> requires an extremely delicate balance in the mixture.
> Is there a good write-up anywhere about these alternate possibilites
> with pt/pd?
No, one is not stuck with those colors.
The color can be altered with gold as mentioned.
The color can also be altered by the developer used and development
temperature as also mentioned.
The color can also be significantly controlled by the cations in the
coating solution double metal salts (positively charged ions such as
sodium, potassium, ammonia, lithium, cesium), their ratios used, and the
ambient conditions of coating and exposure.
The color can also be altered by the substrate used.
Although not a good specific write up, these possibilities are discussed
in my e-guide to Pt/Pd Printmaking (from the link below).
As Witho has indicated, predictable repeatable results have a delicate
balance requiring that it is very important to have precise control of
technique and conditions. My guide deals with how to determine and
control this balance in what is termed the optimization of the
solutions.
Many colors are possible. I even made some very bluish prints of which
Sam Wang has one and one (a folding screen) is pictured on my web site.
No gold was use in these prints, but rather lithium, potassium, Pd, Pt
and the proper substrate and ambient coating/ exposing conditions.
-- Jeffrey D. Mathias http://home.att.net/~jeffrey.d.mathias/
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