"Honour"? I consider this to be absurd. I think that you should do
whatever gives you the desired results. Someone else could just as
easily have said they consider it an honour to never humidify paper, yet
you do it because it gives you the results you're looking for.
Over the past couple of months, I've done a lot of experiments using the
Arches Platine paper. In the past, I've also tried just about every
paper I could lay my hands upon. Many papers worked fine with a single
coat. I think this is mainly an issue of absorbancy. The Arches Platine
(when not humidified) is not very absorbant. Using 30 drops of
sensitizer for an 8x10 print, still leaves me with excess. I have found
that double-coating this paper works great - producing a stunning Dmax.
For the record, here are the results of recent experiments:
Ammonium Citrate produced grain, so the tests below were run in Potassium
Oxalate which produced smooth tones. The Potassium Oxalate was at 70
degrees F. Clearing was with Kodak Hypo Clear (a combination of Sodium
Sulfite, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Citrate, and EDTA). Coating done
with an acryic tube. Printing was with a nuArc 26-1K mercury vapor
exposure system.
Later tests were made to alter the contrast. Potassium Chlorate in the
sensitizer produced grain. Potassium Chlorate in the developer
(saturated potassium chlorate solution 10 drops per 100ml. developer) did
nothing. Hydrogen Peroxide (up to 5 drops in 30 drops of sensitizer) did
nothing. Hydrogen Peroxide in the developer works well.
The trials:
Single coat, blow dry:
Weak Dmax, grain.
Single coat, let dry naturally overnight:
Weak Dmax, no grain.
One heavy coat (double sensitizer worked back and forth without pressure
on the paper until it was absorbed), dry overnight:
Better Dmax, no grain.
One heavy coat (normal amount of sensitizer diluted 1:1 with H2O applied
as above), dry overnight:
Dmax same as above, grain, higher contrast.
One coat sensitizer, dry overnight, one coat H2O, dry overnight:
Weak Dmax, no grain.
One coat sensitizer, dry overnight, one coat H2O 1:1 with Hydrogen
Peroxide, dry overnight:
Better Dmax, no grain, higher contrast.
One coat sensitizer applied to thoroughly soaked paper which was allowed
to dry a liitle until just damp, dry overnight:
Strange (but interesting!) effect. Very pale with purple/pink tones, no
grain.
One coat on humidified paper, blow dry (?), humidify and print.
Pretty good Dmax, no grain, printing-out effect.
Two dilute coats each just half sensitizer, half H2O, each allowed to dry
overnight:
Weak Dmax, no grain.
Two coats sensitizer, each allowed to dry overnight:
Great Dmax, no grain.
I hope this is of some use.
- David Fokos