Re: Problem with Ultrafine Clear Film

Mike, in my experience UCF is much better than Pictorico in terms of
scratching (I'm using pigmented quadtone inks). With Pictorico even a very
light touch or a minute amount of dampness in sensitizer (very likely to
happen with not dried enough cyanoype sensitized paper for instance) is
sufficient to wipe pigment ink off the substrate, with UCF this was not the
case: I couldn't damage the image even by strongly scrubbing with my thumb -
when I did so, very little ink left the substrate; leaving barely
perceptible empty dots far to each others... like some sort of flaking).
Moreover, UCF is 1/2 stop faster than Pictorico (for Cyanotype - I yet have
to test speed with Van Dyke and Kallitype) and this is very nice to me!

You're probably printing on the wrong side; in my sample (100 pieces of
11x17") the coating is on the convex side - determining the coated side is
easy, slightly wet the tip of your finger and rub gently on one side. If it
sticks and leaves a smudge/mark then this is the coated side, if it slides
without difficulty and doesn't leave a mark then it's the back side.

I don't know about the stripes; I don't have these... but if you continue to
have them exactly the same way after rotating the substrate then it's
probably something about the paper rollers (damaging the coating and/or
spreading something onto the film?)... Hope you'll overcome this problem -
ask support from both Photo Warehouse and Epson.

Regards,
Loris.

----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Klemmer
To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2004 4:24 PM
Subject: Re: Problem with Ultrafine Clear Film

I printed out another sample with the media rotated 90 degrees, and got an
identical pattern. This time I also got a bunch of random ink smears as
well.

Roller marks seem to be the culprit here. I then used a wet finger to
double check that I had printed on the right side. In the process I noticed
that the wet finger wiped the printed ink right off the substrate! Also
this film it is extremely sensitive to scratching like I've never seen on
Pictorico.

Someone double check me that I have the right film here. I am using the
Ultrafine Inkjet Crystal Clear 4mil overlay film. Cat# 758-11172

----- Original Message -----
From: Don Bryant
To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2004 11:23 PM
Subject: RE: Problem with Ultrafine Clear Film

Mike,

One more thought, rotate the U.C.F. 90 degrees and make another print. If
the direction of the stripes rotate I would definitely say you have
defective material.

Don Bryant

From: Mike Klemmer [mailto:mklemmer@comcast.net]
Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2004 11:37 PM
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: Problem with Ultrafine Clear Film

I printed some test curves onto U.C.F. that I recently purchased, Epson
2200 printer. I got some weird, splotchy lines on the film. I then printed
the same image onto paper to make sure it wasn't a printer
problem....everything A-OK there. I printed again on the U.C.F. - same
exact problem.

You can see a sample of the problem here:
http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2400372

Any thoughts?

Regards,

Michael Klemmer
Received on Sun May 30 10:21:54 2004