Re: Pure Pd and paper choice

[Judy Seigel <jseigel@panix.com>]

On Mon, 27 May 2002, Clay Harmon wrote:

> I'll concur on the Buxton. It has worked for me for making a pure Pt print.
> I used fresh ammonium citrate developer and got a nice, even-toned neutral
> color print. Frankly, I like the warmth and long toe of palladium much
> better, so I haven't done more than a few of these. New York Central has
> Buxton at the jaw-dropping price of $10 per 22x30 sheet. Must be made from
> unicorn hair or something.

It may make you feel better to know that it cost nearly that bought in
England 5 years ago...Or actually with the VAT it came to about $10 a
sheet, and I never got the refund on that as was supposed to arrive. I
think David actually got a special price on it at NY Central -- otherwise
it would be even MORE !

What I understood a couple of years ago was that the fellow who made it
(Chris someone?)  moved from England to France, and was making it there --
tho maybe in the meantime he moved back, or someone in England is making
it now. The English distributor seemed uninterested in selling the stuff,
but every so often Silverprint got in a batch.

Mike Ware worked with the papermaker to tailor the paper specially to iron
process (particularly platinum/palladium), but for whatever reason I found
that preshrunk WITH NO ADDED SIZE it made wonderful one-coat gum.
Getting two prints from the sheet brought cost per print to $5, but I
daresay there's more spoilage with gum than pt/pd, and that does get nerve
wracking.  My experience was that for multiple gum the advantage was
lost... just exceptionally rich deep strong one-coat...

Given the cost & the uncertain availability, I myself am more comfortable
-- and freer -- with other papers, but I recommend at least a try. It's
quite a different experience.

Judy