Re: Best formule for one-layer bichromate.

Before I can give any possibly useful information, I need to kvetch. First
of all, the fact that when I logged on tonight at about 10:58 PM Eastern
time, August 11, to find a queue of probably 70 e-mails (including spam
which eluded the filter), about halfway along there were several incoming
e-mails dated August 12, not from Australia or England, but from the US
west coast. This is unsettling, as no doubt it's meant to be.

Secondly, I am NOT going to partake in the discussion of repeatable
results in gum bichromate. I am for pro tem trying to get repeatable
results with for gods sake an inkjet printer -- the same file when
*duplicated* prints somewhat differently, the same file when printed the
very next day, prints somewhat differently. The same file sized slightly
differently .... etc.etc. Gum bichromate is in my experience much much
easier. However, it is now LATE AT NIGHT and it is still 86 degrees F and
250% RH outside, so all matters requiring focus are held over until ...
sainted husband has just turned on the air conditioner which may help...

As for availability of Post-Factory, here's some new info. (And thanks to
Loris for the kind words -- I think I did it before we had so much global
warming.)

Malin Fabbri has got Issue #1 on her alternative photography website. I
haven't been there yet (don't ask me about my browser if you don't want
another kvetch), but the deal is that she's got #1, which I *think* folks
can download or otherwise access. But the rest remain in hard copy and I
need to charge for them (cost is about what they cost me to print, not
counting my labor -- and yes, I still believe in print journalism...
something I might be willing to discuss in the year 2008 offlist.)

It also happens that I show a couple of prints (by precocious students) in
white on black paper in Issue #1. It does give a very dramatic effect --
tho you might want to try it under a positive... But that, fun as it may
be, is NOT what "the French" were talking about as one-coat gum. The
French being Demachy & his colleagues, I assume... they used to sneer at
oh, I forget the term, in German it would be "auslanders," meaning
foreigners (actually Austrians) who did -- ugh -- many coats. (Was it
"etrangeres"?) They achieved it by having a soft negative and dripping
water for regional development... some of Demachy's gums thus made show
the effects of dripping by sponge, one (I think I reproduced in P-F #1 --
can't check, my last copy is at the printer) looks kind of tacky, but
most of the others are splendid... In any event, I have a couple of pages
about that early literature, theory, and evolution in P-F #1, plus "Sense
& Sensitometry" about matching the negative to the medium (which is key,if
you're only going to do one coat) and basics of the gum process itself.

As noted, I believe that's available for download. Other stuff about gum
is not -- there's material in several issues, but Issue #6 has my own
article on "Serious One-Coat Gum Printing." I think this may be something
like serious one-person matrimony -- everyone has to work it out for
themselves, tho the article gives many pointers.

For instance, start with a pigment with strong covering power... check
Doerner or Mayer for some hints on that, but since you don't know in
advance how much pigment the manufacturer has put into a given tube, no
guarantees. Also, for one coat I wouldn't size... gelatin costs some
highlight detail. Also, try what I wrote a week or so ago -- about more
exposure & more development for more steps from one coat. What you REALLY
need (tho of course P-F would help) is a sensitivity guide. Trying to do
any kind of gum printing without a 21-step or equivalent, is really
flailing in the dark.

I don't offhand know the address to Malin's publication, tho I think she
sent it to me -- on the other server. somebody will know it, or I'll send
it sometime before the frost.

I've probably left out a lot, but ... more on request, etc.

> yes, good question! I've found only index of issues 1-7 , but I didnt find
> online issues or downloadable pdf, is this magazine free (internet)?

PS. Offhand, I don't know of a hard copy publication that's free, other
than the phone book and the Gideon Bible, if that, worth one's time and
materials... there are probably websites with good info... lots of luck in
finding them -- unless you've put in your time, say, on the alt-photo list
to get a sense of who knows what... The good (and bad I suppose) thing
about this list, is that an error (even a *truth*) gets corrected by a
chorus... Sometimes corrected to death... but nothing is perfect, and your
water and other attributes will be your own anyway.

So again, if you want eternal, literal, unchanging truth -- well, folks do
swear by the bible.

Judy

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005, PaweÅ~B GÄ~Yga wrote:

>
> I dont live in USA, so the shiping charge would kill me and all of my family.
> the content of Post Factory is captivating..
>
> Paul Gega
>
>
> Dnia czwartek, 11 sierpnia 2005 15:42, Dirk DE LA MARCHE napisał:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Sorry to chime in like this but are these Post Factory Photography
>> articles (or the issues themselves for that matter) available in PDF or
>> paperware?
>>
>> Kind regards,
>> Dirk De la Marche
>>
>> Loris Medici wrote:
>>> See articles in Post Factory Photography. I'm sure Judy will chime in
>>> stating the issue #'s (which I don't remember right now).
>>>
>>> It's best that you do some tests and determine the right amnt. of
>>> dichromate and exposure. BTW, the most opaque white paints are gouache I
>>> think. Try to use gouache paints.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Loris.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Pawel Gega [mailto:kermit-q@o2.pl]
>>> Sent: 11 AÄŸustos 2005 PerÅŸembe 16:21
>>> To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
>>> Subject: Re: Best formule for one-layer bichromate.
>>>
>>>
>>> good idea , and what about the gum and bichromate proportions? Are there
>>> any prints in the internet ? Do you know some links? I would be very
>>> happy if could see bichromates with black papers...
>>>
>>> Dnia czwartek, 11 sierpnia 2005 13:27, Loris Medici napisał:
>>>> Obviously in that case, the negative should be a positive actually...
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Loris Medici [mailto:loris_medici@mynet.com]
>>>> Sent: 11 AÄŸustos 2005 PerÅŸembe 14:23
>>>> To: 'alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca'
>>>> Subject: RE: Best formule for one-layer bichromate.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I would start with white opaque pigment (titanium oxide, not zinc
>>>> based
>>>> whites) and black paper...
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>> Loris.
>
Received on Thu Aug 11 21:55:08 2005