Platinum/Palladium prints...varnished

[BrianShaw]

It’s a good product but isn’t it ironic that Renaissance
Wax derives from crude oil and was invented to avoid acidity in natural waxes? To be a paste some sort of hydrocarbon thinner is required. Apparently “natural “ isn’t always best. Better living through chemistry… sometimes.

Its intended use on paper artifacts is protection from fingerprints. Using it for increasing apparent density is “off label” so these trials are worthwhile and very interesting knowledge!

[paulbarden]

My little container of RenWax does indeed stink like paint thinner. It clearly uses a petroleum solvent to give it that "paste" consistency.
When I applied it to a salt print, it gave a very uneven, mottled finish that was semi-gloss in areas and more matte in others. No amount of polishing or spreading more wax would fix the bad texture problem. I do NOT recommend it for use on any kind of alt/POP prints without testing it on scraps first.

[BrianShaw]

Trying not to overthink this, but what paper did you try it on? The “intended use” on paper is book jackets, I believe, which are often either varnished paper or heavily printed… essentially a coated paper. Perhaps the poor performance is due to paper porisity?

Testing first… for sure!

[paulbarden]

trying not to overthink this, but what paper did you try it on? The “intended use” on paper is book jackets, i believe, which are often either varnished paper or heavily printed… essentially a coated paper. Perhaps the poor performance is due to paper porisity?

Testing first… for sure!

hpr

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Trying not to overthink this, but what paper did you try it on? ... Perhaps the poor performance is due to paper porisity?

That is an interesting point. I notice that Renaissance Wax does not work so well on my current paper of choice, Legion Revere, and works better on other papers I have used. Have to think about which those were. All that said, in my typical printing process (gold-toned kallitypes) have not seen much of a difference between Renaissance Wax and beeswax/lavender, and neither created a huge difference in the dark tones.

[Fred L]

I have a small tin of RW and have used it on postcards printed on old Kodak fiber based stock. No idea how it will, if at all, affect the print, but it's a postcard so I don't expect a long lifespan.

btw-I'm not familiar with the hpr acronym, can someone shed some...light

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Hahnemühle Platinum Rag?

[Fred L]

ah right. response to a paper query. thanks. I've settled on Revere Platinum. Still have some Hahnemühle around so may end up giving it away to friends.

[Drew Wiley]

Brian - there's a lot of irony to all kinds of finishes. Take for example, eco friendly acrylic water based paints - they're petroleum based. But most traditional oil paints were derived from vegetable oils (soy, tung, oiticica, linseed, etc). Now many kinds of hybrid finishes exist too. Waxes are in a different category. And then there are shellacs - basically shed aphid raincoats scraped off trees in India. But most people eat a fair amount of insect shellac without even knowing it. The biggest importer of all is See's Candy.

I try to avoid the whole issue when it comes to prints. Sometimes I have to use a tiny amount of retouching color to a color print, and the sheen dries wrong. And for that kind of application I've tried all kinds of supplemental clear treatments, with nothing truly satisfactory yet. And I've salvaged scuffed ordinary glossy silver gelatin prints using Renaissance Wax, but certainly wouldn't include something like that in a serious portfolio. Same with gum arabic wipe-ons on RC color chromogenic prints. Fine for a gift print, but not otherwise.
I don't know the truly long-term effects.

Textured papers impose a whole other dimension of challenge.

[paulbarden]

Hahnemühle Platinum Rag?

That's what I meant by HPR, yes.