From: Tom Ferguson (tomf2468@pipeline.com)
Date: 01/05/03-11:42:25 AM Z
My handmade paper experience is limited (it is a very enjoyable process)
and I've never printed an albumen....... so do take the rest of my
comments with those disclaimers in mind.
When I was making paper and printing palladium and cyanotype on it... I
never could get a normal/photographic "surface size" to work. Hand made
paper is basically waterleaf (VERY absorbant). With a gelatin or starch
surface size the paper as still too absorbant and uneven.
I had to use an internal size during the papermaking process. My best
results were with analkylketene dimer (see here:
http://twinrocker.com/sadditv2.html ). A couple notes: It take two weeks
to "set" (become hard) in normal room temperature. Keep the liquid
refrigerated, in liquid form it only lasts about 1/2 year before going
bad (or so I'm told, I used mine up before then). Decades later these
sized papers look great, and I'm told this is a common ingredient in
many if not most high quality papers.
You are able to use a "surface size" (gelatin, starch, etc) on a paper
that has internal size if your process needs it.
Another "common ingredient" in papers is "calcium carbonate" (some
papermakers call it limestone or buffer). This is added to keep the
paper non acid and keep "lignin" (spelling??) damage from occurring.
Both platinum and cyanotype have serious problems with this chemical (I
have no info on how albumen would react). I've always assumed that the
amount of this additive is the primary reason why some papers work well
for platinum and others are terrible.
I found pure banana leaf ( papermakers call it abaca) to be too textured
for my use. That could have been my fault (skill and/or equipment). I
had far better results with a mix of banana and cotton. Let us know how
Barbados banana works, papermakers (like most art types) can be quite
the snobs. The "official word" is that only abaca from the Philippines
is high quality?? Abaca is naturally quite brown, if you want a white
wheet you need to use "bleached Abaca". I don't know how that is done, I
simply bought it that way.
Hope all that helps.
On Sunday, January 5, 2003, at 05:55 AM, Bob Kiss wrote:
> DEAR ALL,
> I am hoping to make albumen prints on paper made by hand here in
> Barbados using local fibers; perhaps banana or bread fruit leaf stalk or
> locally grown cotton. I have a professional paper maker who knows all
> about
> the making but she asked me what sizing would be best for my particular
> process...albumen.
> Please let me know if any of you have any experience making albumen
> prints on hand made paper and what size you recommend.
> NEW YEAR'S CHEERS FROM BARBADOS!
> BOB
>
> Please check out my website:
> www.bobkiss.com
>
>
--------------
Tom Ferguson
http://www.ferguson-photo-design.com
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