Acid pre-coat for Cyano

Rajul,
As I understand it, Cyano works better on paper that
is slightly acidic. Some sizing can be very alkali,
but this can change from batch to batch. The acid is
used to balance the paper's PH. I used vinegar 1:1
with distilled water, but may other acids will work. I
brushed it on the paper, let it dry and then applied
the cyanotype emulsion. The prints were very crisp,
tonal range better. Some people suggested to add of
citric acid (40% solution) to the emulsion mix to save
the pre-coat step. The papers that I used for Cyano
had never behaved as Fabriano Artistico, which was
printing very flat. I was also getting spots, although
I am not sure if the spots had to do with the
alkalinity of the paper. For cyanotype I usually use
Loew Cornell Japanese paper for sumi ink drawings,
very strong, and it's the only Japanese paper that I
found that does not brakes down in the water. It also
gives beautiful dark blues and is very inexpensive.
I also love Arches Platine- (in my opinion an
outstanding paper for many, many processes), and
Watman watercolor paper.
 Carmen

                
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Received on Sat Sep 24 10:18:46 2005