Re: 4-color carbon question

David E. Le Vine - TreeO (david@treeo.com)
Sat, 9 Dec 1995 14:27:44 -0500

>> >> I am working in 4-color carbon and am having trouble with the black (final
>> >> transfer of a "single transfer" process) adhering to the magenta,
>> >> particularly in the maximum density areas. It starts to wash off in clumps
>> >> about half way through the washout. I can stop it by cutting the wash
>> >> short. Is the gelatin of the black swelling too much, or is the Dmax
>> >> magenta inhibiting adhesion?
>> >>
>>
>> Material used: Polaroid material (manufactured for Archival Color, Charlie
>> Berger's original company).
>>
>>
>David,
>
>I have not used the Archival materials but my guess is you have already
>identified the problem, that is, there is a lack of adhesion between the
>CYM image and the black relief, caused by the black relief swelling
>too much, prehaps from having absorbed too much water during transfer.
>I suggest this based on the presumption that the black tissue and CYM
>image are soaked before mating/registration. If this is the case, reduce
>try reducing the soak time, or perhaps lower the temperature of the
>water. Also, have you thought of developing the reliefs separately
>and visually register onto the final support?
>
>Sandy

Sandy,

I will have to try all avenues ... I guess. It's just after over seven
years of R&D perfecting our process for volume production while trying to
incorporate computer technology (Macs) into the loop, balancing the
separations to the already existing pigments, fighting temperature and
humidity systems, and dealing with proper heavy metal "recycling", and
rumors of surfactant incompatibility (it makes me tired just typing it :-)

To top it all off, we switched to contone after three years of working with
outside venders to obtain 500+ line screen halftone separations "balanced"
for our process. But at least now we have our own Crosfield scanner and it
produces beautiful continuous tone separations (they are even balanced
now).

Our only obvious advantage over EverColor is that we are true continuous
tone (not photo mechanical), original historic process (True Carbon). Oh,
and Henry Wilhelm has tested our pigments to in excess of 500 years. Non
of the others (UltraStable included) have been tested as long, although
they have projected similar permanence.

Anyway, I thought some insight from this group could save me some time and
mostly aggravation. As you must know, it is frustrating to spend hours on
a multiple-transfer print and have it fail at the last transfer.

Anybody know of any carbon printers looking for a job?

David E. Le Vine
david@TreeO.com
TreeO Enterprises Inc.
http://www.TreeO.com

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