Re: stretching paper

Accurate re-registration of paper and negative can be a big issue when gum
printing, especially if one desires sharp and finely detailed prints. The
overall dimensions of the paper can vary considerably due to changes in
relative humidity.

My negatives have a 1/2" border, created with red lithographers tape. This
border prints white (no exposure). After punching two holes on one edge of
the paper & negative, I use steel pins to hold them together, and make the
first exposure. By using the pins on subsequent exposures, I quickly obtain
accurate registration. Also note that I've punched two holes in the far
corners of the negative border, opposite the holes for the pins. These
holes print dark circles of pigment against the white border, providing an
excellent visual reference for re-registration of paper & negative.

If the paper has shrunk too far due to lower humidity, I'll wipe a slightly
damp sponge on the backside of the paper. This causes the paper to expand
slightly. When the dark pigment circles on the white border (edge opposite
pins) match exactly, I'll make the next exposure. If the paper is too big
due to higher humidity, I use a hair dryer on low heat against the backside
of the paper. This causes the paper to shrink slightly. When proper
re-registration is achieved, the exposure is made. I've never seen the
application of either moisture or mild heat to the paper cause any damage or
degradation to an unexposed gum coating.

I'm not suggesting that my methods are the best or only way to print gum.
One goal has been to make the sharpest possible gum prints. Using this
method, I've obtained outstanding results.

Best regards,
Dave Rose
Big Wonderful Wyoming
Alt-Photo gallery:
http://www.alternativephotography.com/dave_rose.html
My '62 Willys Pickup:
http://mvpimages.net/cgi-bin/willys/wtregistryview.cgi?action=view&id=224

----- Original Message -----
From: <Ender100@aol.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2004 8:13 AM
Subject: stretching paper

Here's another offbeat, weird, perverted question—relax Judy, it has nothing
to do with why you frequent "Fight Bars"....

I know many of you do multi-coat processes and have to deal with the
embarrassing syndrome made famous on the Seinfeld Show called "shrinkage".

I was musing the other day and I wondered if there are papers that also have
the reverse problem or a comibination of the two, which might be called the
Viagra Syndrome, or stretching. By this I mean when handling the wet
paper,
perhaps even thinner wet paper, does picking it up by a corner and swinging
it
about the room cause the paper to stretch at all? Hanging to dry by a
corner?

I think this would be noticed when trying to get subsequent negatives to
register properly.

Or, perhaps it is not an issue at all.

OK, I'll go back into my cage now.

Thanks for responding in advance of my question.....well you know what I
mean.

Mark Nelson
Received on Sun Feb 15 10:49:26 2004