carbon transfert print - platinum palladium print

[Indio]

Time ago I saw a platinum palladium print and the difference between a silver gelatin print at my eyes was the smoother tones and the beautiful scale of gray,

now I have never see a carbon transfert print and I wonder myself what are the difference with a platinum palladium print in terms of immage quality, and

what push somebody to spend days for get a carbon print... compared at the carbon trasfert the platinum palladium print is fast like a polaroid!

Better tones? More control on the print?

[Vaughn]

You can get a carbon print to look like anyway you want it to look like. I prefer the "Silver gelatin print on steroids" look. Lots of relief, semi-glossy to glossy, far sharper than platinum, a great sense of depth and a wide smooth tonal range (exceeds platinum). I transfer the carbon image onto fixed-out photopaper (fiber, glossy).

But you can print carbons and transfer onto watercolor paper to make platinum-like images if one wishes to.

I much enjoy platinum printing; it is a different type of image -- with the image in the paper rather than on top. But when I make a carbon print I wonder why I spend the bucks on precious metal!

Vaughn

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I agree with Vaughn. Although I have never made very many Platinum prints they are beautiful. When I look at my carbon prints I say to myself I chose the right path several years ago to print nothing but carbon. Once you master the process the results one can achieve are incredible. I print on Fiber paper as well and select the texture of the paper to suit the image. Portraits on mat paper are something to see. It takes a commitment but then mastering any process takes commitment.

[Indio]

You can get a carbon print to look like anyway you want it to look like. I prefer the "Silver gelatin print on steroids" look. Lots of relief, semi-glossy to glossy, far sharper than platinum, a great sense of depth and a wide smooth tonal range (exceeds platinum).

Thank you Vaughn, so is possible give a the carbon print the "silver gelatine print on steroids"... far sharper than platinum, a great sense of depth and a wide smooth tonal range, I can imagine a print sharper than a platinum print, but with more sense of the depth with and wider tonal rage is hard to imagine!

I have always thought that the sens of the depth was because the process of development was IN the paper rather ON the paper.

I saw the Jim Fitzgerald print but just on the video screen, I'm very curious to see one in front of my eyes... thanks for your replyes

[Kimberly Anderson]

Who wants to trade a platinum/palladium print for a carbon?

[Cletus]

Hmm. Interesting. I'm not 100% sure whether this proposal for a "print swap" will be generally taken up, but I have at least one nice (IMHO) Pt/Pd that should be good enough to offer up in trade....and I'd certainly like to see, or own, a nice example of a Carbon Print for myself, far as that goes.

Anyone interested? One of my Platinum/Palladiums for one of your Carbons? PM me if you're game and we'll work out the details...

[Kimberly Anderson]

I offer up my print swap mostly in jest. I am a HUGE fan of both Jim and Vaughn, and I already owe Vaughn a print for doing me a few big favors.

[Cletus]

Hi Michael - yeah, I kinda got the feeling you weren't completely serious, but still....anyone have a nice (8x10) Carbon print they'd like to swap for one of my Platinums?

A little impromptu yes, but it never hurts to ask! BTW - Credit must go to Michael Slade for proposing the idea.

[Vaughn]

...I have always thought that the sens of the depth was because the process of development was IN the paper rather ON the paper...

The raised relief that is possible with carbon prints can create a sense of depth -- in a different manner than achieved with pt/pd. I have a few prints out to someone off-forum. When I get them back, I'll see about perhaps sending them out to those who are curious about the process.

Vaughn

[Andrew O'Neill]

what push somebody to spend days for get a carbon print... compared at the carbon trasfert the platinum palladium print is fast like a polaroid!

I don't print in platinum but I do do a lot of kallitype printing, which is indisquisible from a platinum print. I print in carbon because it takes the image to a different level. I love how the slightly raised blacks pull on the paper whites to give it a 3D look. The effort is worth it.