Re: What/how is Magnani Pescia sized with?

From: Katharine Thayer <kthayer@pacifier.com>
Subject: Re: What/how is Magnani Pescia sized with?
Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2004 10:50:34 +0000

> [...] but I do know that whatever it is, the paper is hardly sized
> at all. Some sources classify it as a waterleaf (waterleaf being a
> paper with little or no sizing, making it very absorbent but not
> always amenable to soaking (think blotters)) and the Daniel Smith
> catalog says, "Because Pescia is very lightly sized, dampen it with
> an atomizer rather than soaking."

When I compared side by side with Rives BFK, Magnani Pescia absorbed
significantly less sizing solution. The paper also keeps its body when
it's wet, while Rives becomes soft and harder to handle. Surface
ablation is not a problem for me because I apply sizing solution which
is a mixture of gelatin and emulsion of poly(vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl
acetate) and ethyl methacrylate (it's actually a proprietary product
Primal AC-33 from Kremer, which I think is a repackaged Rhoplex AC-33
from Rohm and Haas. I don't know exact content of AC-33 but think this
is close to what it is.) mixed with glut, antifoaming agent, and
Triton X-100, coated with a fine grain foam roller. It's pretty tough
once it's dried. The surface retains the paper's texture (slight, very
fine cross-hatch-like texture in Pescia), and it's not gritty at all
like gesso. Also the paper curls less when drying compared to plain
gelatin size. (I dont know if this works for gum but works great for
silver gelatin.)

Rives looks differently when wet. As I apply the sizing solution,
"pressure mark" appears. Wet paper changes its apparent "opacity" or
"reflectance" (I use double quotes here because I don't know what's
the right word) where pressure is applied. Plus the paper soaks so
much solution and is much slower to dry. The paper loses body and easy
to get kink marks.

There are probably many other differences but the way they absorb
differently made me think Pescia is somewhat sized, though maybe not
as much as Artistico, and that may be the primary reason for this
difference.

I size full 22x30 sheet and dry in a flat file cabinet (the ultimate
intent is to make prints of this size). While sizing and also while
processing the exposed prints, I find Pescia and Artistico much easier
to handle than Rives as well.

I'm reluctant to comment about the surface of Pescia v. Artistico
because I only used cold press for Artistico so far (my local store
doesn't carry Artistico HP). But that would be the next comparison
before buying either paper in bulk.

--
Ryuji Suzuki
"People seldom do what they believe in.  They do what is convenient,
then repent." (Bob Dylan, Brownsville Girl, 1986)