Re: Gum preparation

Yves,
You should test shrinkage yourself. I no longer use hot paper soak, found it
unnecessary. I soak paper in warm water for 20-30 minutes.
Take a large 20x30 sheet of apper, draw a line along a short and long side
of the paper, measure it, soak the paper, dry and measure again. Machine
made papers shrink differently in different directions. You can repeat the
soak and seeif the second soak makes any difference.
Search the archives for different siezing methods. Your choice is gelatine
plus a hardener. The hardeners fall into two groups. Group one is aldehydes
(formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde and gyoxal). Group two is chromium. This can
be introduces as Cr(III), such as alum, or Cr(VI) and reduced in situ.
Other exotic hardeners have been proposed, but not much of a track record or
experience exist.
Some people use a mix of gelatine and acrylic medium or gesso. This works
just fine.
I have tried them all and actually do not have a strong preference. Do
whatever is easiest and works.
Marek

>From: Yves Gauvreau <gauvreau-yves@sympatico.ca>
>Reply-To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
>To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
>Subject: Re: Gum preparation
>Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 05:45:28 -0400
>
>Hi Wendy and Hamish
>
>thanks both for the precice info. Wendy, I don't have this book, basically
>what is a "dot test"?
>
>Regards
>Yves
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Wendy Currie" <wendy@curriephotography.com>
>To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
>Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 7:36 PM
>Subject: Re: Gum preparation
>
>
> > Hi Yves
> > As part of the preparation for gum printing, I start by immersing
> > the paper in v. hot water for at least 20 mins, then hang up to dry.
> > When it's completely dry I size the paper.
> > As for using dark colours I always do a 'dot test' as explained in
> > William Crawford's Keeper's of Light. It's a long boring process,
> > but once you have the ratio of colour to gum, it's there for good,
> > (so long as you stick to the same paper)! I only use top quality
> > artists watercolour pigments such as Windsor & Newton and I only use
> > Rives BFK.
> > Hope this helps
> > Wendy
> > On 27/04/2006, at 5:01 AM, Yves Gauvreau wrote:
> >
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > those anyone as a suggestion for preparing the paper in order to
> > > minimise
> > > shrinking?
> > >
> > > While I'm at it, I saw many different methods and recipes for
> > > sizing paper,
> > > any suggestion for that as well (% gelatine + % hardener (wich))?
> > > In case it
> > > matters, for now I'm thinking of using relatively dark (almost
> > > black) colors
> > > (monochromes) which imply a strong possibily of staining.
> > >
> > > Regards
> > > Yves
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
Received on Thu Apr 27 07:39:56 2006