Re: Kallitype humidity problems

I did not see the original message about streaking and speckling with
kallitype until Chris posted her response.

I live in South Carokina where the humidity can get very high at
certain times of the year. I have never found high humidity to be a
problem with kallitype. In fact, to the contrary, with all of the
papers I have used high humidity is a definite plus as you usually
get more Dmax in these conditions, same as with Pt./Pd. printing.

I will qualify my comment with the remark that my working room is air
conditioned and that RH rarely gets above 70%.

The problem you are having may be contaminants in the brush, as Chris
suggested. It may also be from the paper itself. Certain vellum
papers that I have used for kallitype and Pt./Pd. printing, for
example, have a tendency to produce black speckles.

Uneven coating and mottling sounds like more a problem of coating
technique then anything else.

Sandy

>I have been having problems with streaking and speckling on
>> my prints, which according to Christopher James can be attributed to
>> a workshop with high humidity. There is definitely high humidity
>> there, and since I work in a large communal area, I am thinking it
>> would be easier to change processes than try to dehumidify the entire
>> area.
>
>Hi Nels,
>Welcome to the list.
>
>No one has answered this yet, so I will offer my probably wrong opinion as
>kallitype is not my process of choice, but I did want you to know someone
>was listening.
>
>On another list someone was having the same problem with black speckles and
>it was suggested they clear their brush (fix or clear) to make sure it did
>not have exposed solution on it that then contaminated the next print. If
>it is not black speckles and black streaks you are talking about, , but
>uneven coating and lighter mottling, that is a totally different story and
>may relate to your paper and/or humidity.
>
>I have not done chrysotype but Don Bryant on this list has. I have done
>argyrotype and it coated and exposed beautifully on the papers I used, Rives
>BFK and Buxton (about $10 a sheet). Make sure you are using enough solution
>to give an even coat--don't scrimp.
>
>I have had problems with mottling (lighter spots) on Fabriano Artistico
>Extra White--with palladium--so if you are using this paper, keep your brush
>cleared, switch to a different paper, and see if your problem disappears.
>Others on this list use that paper to perfection if they first give it a
>hefty presoak in oxalic acid. They will have to give you the percentages
>and times on that. I just switched to Arches Platine for those one coat
>processes, sticking with Fabriano for my tricolor gums.
>
>So, maybe you can share the paper you are using and other pertinent info to
>describe the spots more clearly and someone else more versed than I in
>kallitype and iron processes will point the way.
>Chris
Received on Sat Jul 16 11:24:28 2005