Re: What are the advantages of using Cyanotype as the first layer for tri-color gum prints? Paper Problems...

Lotsa questions, lotsa answers, Carmen,

For one, you never need to use very hot water for your presoak or any stage.

Two, I am surprised that Fabriano Artistico 140 lb is fragile in water in
the 22x30 size ?? I make close to that size of paper--15x21 size gums, but
I have to cut my paper to fit my contact frame which is 17x21--and I never
have problems.

Two, the benefit of the cyanotype underlayer is sharpness and ease of
registration. It's like all your detail of the image is anchored in that
layer, and then the rest falls into place.

Three, I use traditional cyanotype 2A:1B on Fabriano AEW and I will tell you
for sure it is an unsuitable paper for cyanotype, but since you are not just
doing cyanotype it doesn't matter. You just have to approximate the cyan
layer of a tricolor negative, so your initial layer won't look complete. I
would not use that paper if I were to do just cyanotype, but FAEW is my
paper of choice for gum. I use the hot press. The soft and cold are really
easy to coat, though.

The dark spots (oh my, should I call them speckles?) sound like uneven
sizing or uneven soaking in of the cyanotype layer. When I have encountered
that, I have used Tween 20 in my cyanotype mix. 1 or 2 drops per 10 ml of
mixed solution.

I think the other answers of not enough exposure are right on. Unless your
sizing is too heavy underneath your cyanotype? Even on unsuitable paper,
you'll get a full image, it'll just be blah and grey-blue, like the image on
the right on Darryl Baird's website: http://www.darrylbaird.com/ALT/GUM

On Fabriano AEW, by the time I get to exposing my image I would have to say
that my layer is pretty blue/green, too, but it doesn't wash off. I am
exposing 6 minutes under UVBL.
Chris

Dear List:

What are the advantages of using Cyanotype as the
first layer for tri-color gum prints? And, which paper
is good to use with the cyano-gum process?
I am asking because I bought many sheets of 300 LB
Fabriano Artistic and Arches Aquarelle paper, and the
paper did not work for cyanotype. The cyonotype
emulsion turned blue-green when dried had blue spots
and after exposing, the emulsion would wash off almost
completely, leaving a very faint print with blue
spots. Judy suggested trying acidifying the paper. I
did not have any acid except white distilled vinegar,
which I used, mixed 1:1 with distilled water, and that
seemed to resolve the problem (thanks Judy!). I did
test the paper with a gum print using thalo blue
watercolor and it cleared fine on pre-shrunk, un-sized
paper. I am using 300 lb paper because I am making
very large gum prints and the lighter paper was
falling apart when soaked in very hot water. Maybe
there is a lighter weight paper that is cheaper than
the 300 lb and will work well for 22x30" gum prints?

Thank you for sharing your expertise.
Carmen

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Received on Sun Sep 18 08:18:24 2005