FB Printing Papers and Curling

[Csholl]

Hi,

I recently made some prints with fiber-based paper 8x10. I notice I'm getting a lot of curling. Right now I have the prints under a weight with a clean surface. Does anyone have advice for this, or will this be sufficient if left for a while? I am also getting a t-shirt press (heated surface) to help, and I suppose this will be good too. As for dry mount presses their much too expensive so this is the alternative. I also know you can do it with an iron, but I've heard its not as good.

[Tin Can]

Keep us tuned in

I dry face down on tight window screen

Then use a warm/hot press

mounting hot glue sheet

test and learn with discard prints

[Eric Woodbury]

This is often discussed here. Personally, I 'iron' all my prints in a 200F dry mount press. Then I stack them face-to-face-back-to-back under a weight as they cool.

Never as flat as an RC print until you dry-mount. Enjoy the quality of fiber papers.

[paulbarden]

As Eric points out, Fibre prints simply do not dry as flat as RC papers do. Yes, a dry mount press helps, but you can save yourself some of the work by drying prints on a (clean!) clothesline (I just use thick cotton twine) and pin two prints together, back to back, to dry. Inevitably I have only one or two final prints from a printing session that I consider "finished" pieces, and what I do is use watercolor tape and tape one or two to a sheet of glass to dry. They come off the glass as flat as any other method, often flatter.

[ASA1000]

I posted the same question, in February... after getting back into B&W photography with Ilford fiber based paper. Here's what works for me: First squeegee your prints, then blot them to make sure they are evenly 'moist' Then on to a screen face down with ample space between prints. Now here's the crazy part, at least here in Colorado where the air is dry.... Dont let them dry too long on the screen. Take them off the screen when they are still barely perceptible 'damp' and go into the press at 180 for 45 sec. Open the press, air it out, and close it back up for another 30 sec. Then out and between two sheets of heavy glass until they cool. (A few minutes) then into a 'stack with a weight on top for storage. That works for me here where humidity is 26 to 60% most of the time... in an air-conditioned basement! The key is getting them off the screen before they are dry... I know it sounds counterintuitive, but that's what I found after MUCH trial and error. I also noticed the Ilford MGFB part curled more on one side than the other. Also, FWIW, In the past, I was used to drying prints overnight.

[Pieter]

I have always been concerned with putting a damp print in a dry mount press fearing the gelatin emulsion would still be soft enough to pick up dust or even the texture of any mat board being used in the press. On the other side of the coin, I have seen fine cracks in the emulsion layer from overly curly paper going into the press. Maybe just dampening the back of print with a lint-free cloth or a fine spray of water would be a good idea. Haven’t tried it yet.

[nolindan]

Try very lightly dampening the back of the print with a sponge, then slip it into a large telephone directory with another directory on top for weight.

Now the problem is to find a couple of large city telephone directories. A set of encyclopedias would also work - but, alas, they also are all in landfills.

[paulbarden]

Try very lightly dampening the back of the print with a sponge, then slip it into a large telephone directory with another directory on top for weight.

Now the problem is to find a couple of large city telephone directories. A set of encyclopedias would also work - but, alas, they also are all in landfills.

Telephone books are about the furthest thing from acid free as you can get.

[nolindan]

Telephone books are about the furthest thing from acid free as you can get.

You might think so, but ... A study was made taking 'core samples' of landfills and it was found that after 40 years or so everything had rotted down - except for the phone books. It seems the paper doesn't degrade as a high-acid paper would. My folks had some 30 year old NYC phone books that showed no sign of yellowing. Not that this is anything other anecdote.

But all that aside, nothing gets transferred from the phone book to the print. I have 60 year old prints that were flattened in phone books and they show no sign of being injured by the process and don't show any signs of re-curling. I'm sure it would work with other books/paper. Probably not with coated paper(? never tried, might work great). So it may be that encyclopedias with their glossy paper wouldn't be a good choice.

Just a slight dampening of the back of a dry print will cause the print to take a slight reverse curl and dry, well, flatter without any resort to books of any sort.

[jnantz]

if you have some cash or are lucky to find one in a junk store, look for a nipping press. you might find a library going all digital getting rid of one. when the prints are 90-95% dry put them between clean matboard for a little while in the nipping press
they'll be flat soon after.