From: Katharine Thayer (kthayer@pacifier.com)
Date: 09/04/03-01:01:53 PM Z
Kerik wrote:
>
> I'm not familiar with the process Ryuji is attempting, but if the
> consistency or the sensitizer is anything like gum, I'd suggest trying a
> smooth foam roller. These are about 6" long and are very effective for
> super-smooth gum bichromate coating. You want the white ones, which are
> the smoothest.
Sometime this summer I tried one of those white rollers for gum, just
out of curiosity, and found the results inferior to plain old hake
brushes. I made several test prints, first with my usual mix, then with
a mix using dry dichromate, gently rolled on with the white foam roller
following the description that was given after APIS. For one of these
dry-dichromate prints I used no water at all; for the others I used
varying small amounts of water. In every case, the roller-coated print
came out blotchy and mottled, quite unsatisfactory, while the print made
by my usual method came out clear and smooth as usual. I scanned two of
the prints and then decided not to post them, but if anyone's interested
in seeing the comparison, let me know and I'll put them up on Bostick &
Sullivan.
I've often said that there are about as many different gum printing
methods as there are gum printers; this is yet another example of that
truth. What works for one doesn't always, or often, work for others
using different materials or equipment; that's why attempts to set out
magic recipes for gum printing are forever doomed to failure.
Someone (Judy maybe?) suggested, back when we were discussing all this,
that it may be that Stuart's method wouldn't generalize beyond the
particular gum that he uses. My experiment suggests that this may well
be so.
It may be, of course, that in order for the method to work, the Miracle
Muck is essential. I personally don't see any need to add extra
ingredients when the basic formula works so well. But, like I always
say, each to his own.
Katharine Thayer
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