Re: gum, powdered pigments and powdered arabic

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From: Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Date: 04/19/03-12:19:42 AM Z


On Thu, 17 Apr 2003, Christina Z. Anderson wrote:

>
> When did you last buy gum from D. Smith? It's $43 a gallon now for
> that
> type (!).

A couple of years ago -- but I bought two gallons (at $17 each) and got
two gallons of RBP and two gallons of the old Philben house gum about the
same time-- all of them excellent for different things... and a couple of
other stray gallons & pints around, & doubt I'll use all up in my
lifetime. But if I do, I'll go to 22nd St & buy another gallon for $16 or
whatever & take home on the subway. I'll add that offset print shops smear
gum arabic on their plates in some manner & for some purpose. If you have
such shop in your neighborhood, ask where they get the gum. It's usually
very good.

> I checked with them--yes, the powder I have is premium light amber.
> And
> yes, they do mix their own liquid gum up from this very powder. So save

As noted, I didn't like the way the Premium printed AT ALL -- assuming the
one I bought about 5 years ago is the same as the one they're selling now,
which it probably isn't.

Judy

> yourself some bucks and buy powder... for half a pound which mixes up to
> about 4/5 liter, it is $12. For 1/2 a liter of liquid it is $13.50. Maybe
> the inconvenience of mixing powder isn't worth the savings, but it is
> cheaper than the gallon price.
>
> > However any of those prepared gums has a preservative, which the gum you
> > mixed up presumably doesn't. There has been some claim that when the gum
> > goes sour it doesn't work -- that seems not to be true. In fact some
> > printers have said they PREFER the sour gum. However it does continually
> > change, lacking preservative -- so it would tend to work quite differently
> > over time. That is, your ratios/color effects, etc, would most likely
> > change.
> > There's also the matter of odor.... which some claim can get quite
> > intense as the gum sours.
>
> > Judy
> I'll be watching and smelling to see how long it takes to sour. Some of the
> powdered pigments (ultra blue and cadmiums) smell bad enough as it is ...but
> I have a super sensitive nose.
> Chris
>
>
>
>


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