The Salt Print Thread

[j.e.simmons]

Great thread! I am new to the salt printing. Is there formula/recipe to get blackish tones in the image instead of the browns? Thanks!

I experimented at one time with using KBr (potassium bromide) as the salt. It created a print and the tone was black. I didn't experiment enought to learn if good images are possible. I also found the KBr paper to be faster than NaCl papers. All of this is in line with the difference between bromide only enlarging papers and chloride only contact printing papers. It might be worth more experimentation.
juan

[tgtaylor]

I'm thinking about waxing my prints with beeswax and lavender oil. Any input on this?

Thomas

[koraks]

I tried just beeswax once but it became a big mess. I found a good way to get a nice gloss is to size the paper heavily with gelatin.

[photojeff3200]

Waxing prints with beeswax and lavender oil adds more depth to the blacks and gives a nice satin finish to the print. Waxing is a must in my book! Make sure you tape down the print, you don't want to catch an edge while waxing. You can use Renaissance Wax Polish as an alternative.

[tgtaylor]

Thanks for the replies.

When I picked-up about 1lb of yellow beeswax yesterday afternoon I noticed that they also had cakes of a brown beeswax. I understand that there is a white beeswax also but I didn't see any there. From the web Beeswax is permanently damaged and turns a chocolate brown colour at about 120° C so it doesn't appear that using the brown would work. I wonder if the color of the beeswax (yellow or white) would make a difference?

Thomas

[Randy]

Would using wax be beneficial to the appearance of cyanotypes as well? I have just been wondering if there was something that could be used to coat them to give a semi gloss look.

[photojeff3200]

I was told to use only white beeswax. I can only assume that yellow beeswax would partially obscure the print and affect the over all tone. I mix my beeswax and lavender oil in a dedicated, small, non stick pan that I got from target for $10 bucks. Whenever I wax prints I heat up the solid beeswax/lavender in the pan and dip some cheese cloth in the warm wax and start rubbing it on the print, then wipe off the excess. I take the pan off the heat and wrap in plastic when cool, otherwise dust will fall into the wax and end up on the print. If the wax is to hard than add oil, if it's to soft add wax, it's not an exact science. I bet it will work on cyanotypes too. It will NOT work on photogravures though, learned that the hard way.

[photojeff3200]

Beeswax won't give you a semi gloss look. Although Renaissance Wax Polish might.

[photojeff3200]

Here's a picture I did this weekend. It's a 12x12 inch wet plate negative that I shot on a B&J 8x10 camera that I converted to a 12x20. I find myself using the 12x12 square format about 90% of the time. I'm just loving the square compositions. I might reconfigure the camera to 12x12 someday, making it lighter, it's about 30 pounds and the tripod struggles to keep it stable.

45 minute under lamps and tracing paper
Arches Platine
gold toned
Ellie Young formulas

[tgtaylor]

Thanks for your posts Jeff. I visited your website and followed the link to Borut Peterlin's youtube presentation on salt printing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIelWRTJTFE At the end he waxes the print with yellow beeswax mixed with lavender oil and it does indeed increase the dmax and leaves thee print with a nice velvety sheen.

Thomas