Re: My first VanDykes & questions

Quoting Loris Medici <lorism@tnn.net>:

> 1) I just filtered the precipitate and using the sensitizer that way
> now; can the precipitate formation and the filtering of it ruin the
> quality, contrast, color ect. of my prints (no big problems other than
> low contrast so far)? Should I remake the sensitizer?

I haven't filtered my solution. I just shake up the bottle before use.
Through the brown glass it looks like milky coffee. I have not seen any
problems due to the precipitate.

> 3) The contrast of the emulsion and dMax is very low. Again, Is that
> normal? Even the most constrasty negatives I have used produced flat
> prints (pinhole negatives exposed half the ISO and developed 20% more).
> If I print for the highlights the shadows remain very poor. If I print
> for the shadows, the highlights are muddy, lifeless. I'm working on a
> suitable inkjet negative curve right now. I tried double coating, dMax
> improved slightly (not much, but it is more acceptable) but the
> highlight problem worsened. I even tried to develop in a first bath of
> 1lt water with a pinch of citric acid and 10 drops of saturated
> potassium dichromate in it. Not much difference (the hue changed to red
> side though - less brown than previous prints). What can you suggest? (I
> guess I'm going to give up with inkjet and pinhole negatives and go for
> high contrast enlarged negatives on lithographic film)

I think you may have a problem. VDB does need a more contrasty negative than
cyanotype, but it is not particularly high. I think I could print a VDB negative
on silver gelatine grade 0, but have not tried. Dmax should be good with a single
coat. I brush coat and found no improvement with double coating. Perhaps
it is the paper you use. I found that VDB is more sensitive to paper than
cyanotype, and that a paper which works well with one may be poor with the
other. So I would look at some different papers.

Richard

-- 
Richard Urmonas