Re: Dichromate dilution and speed

> The one big variable I haven't heard mentioned in this discussion is that
> Sam is printing on unsized paper so his gum has a far greater grip on the
> paper than a print on sized paper would have. Are those of you who have
been
> trying to use a weaker sensitizer done it one sized or unsized paper? I
can
> imagine that there may be more need for stronger bichromate on sized
paper.
> Jack

Jack,
     I think this is an interesting idea; I am not sizing, and I am also
preshrinking my paper so the initial manufacturer sizing is probably washed
out. I know Sam does the same, but he uses a different paper than I. With
all my methods I have been doing this past year I have never sized. I had
an old piece of gelatin sized paper (and alum and gesso ones, too) and used
those one day and the coating wooshed off, or was way too contrasty. But
that was with my former "ways" of gum printing, not this lower strength
solution.
     And, Pete, as far as the cyano layer affecting the speed of the gum, I
am not using cyano for my base coat, but doing 3 gum layers.
     But I am using powdered gum...Photographer's Formulary stuff.
     It seems, so far, you have at least several people the low strength
works for (Sam, Suzanne, myself, not to mention Sam's former students) and
at least several people it doesn't (Keith, Katharine, and Judy, Kerik, Clay
maybe?). If I remember correctly, Katharine does not size, but don't know
about Keith--I think he does...but also a presoak factor might figure in
there somewhere. Perhaps if we all keep this lower dilution thing in our
memory banks, over the next few months we'll figure something out.
Certainly it is a method for one's arsenal if you can't get a digineg to
print correctly, or need a high contrast formula. In my case, since it works
for me, I don't see why I would go back to making dupe negs in the darkroom
and using the higher strength formula, even if I have 2 boxes of Direct Dupe
at $150 each in my freezer!
Chris
(can you tell I am avoiding writing an 8p. paper on Elaine Scarry?)
Received on Wed Dec 3 05:45:35 2003