post alternative techniques

[Vaughn]

Very good images, andrious! My guess is that the citric acid successfully clears, or nuetralizes, the remaining sensitizer, but perhaps more washing before toning is needed to completely remove it.

Thomas, this probably is not related to your question, but I have noticed with my pt/pd prints (that I print with a black border), that I do not get a sharp edge between the black of the rebate and high values, such as sky. There is some bleed over into the lighter areas when I put the print into a tray of developer. I solved this by putting the exposed paper in an empty tray and pouring on the developer so that it starts in the middle of the paper and spreads quickly out towards the edge of the paper. It seems the movement of the developer going from the middle and over the rebate prevents the initial bleeding. I finish developing by rocking the tray.

Excellent work andreios. Bravo!

Quick question or two: How did you manage to keep the borders so neat and straight without sensitizer encroachment? Did you use rubylith? Also, what paper are you using?

Thanks,

Thomas

[tgtaylor]

Thanks Andreois. I've been using artists tape to make a border. It does a good job except at the corners where a straight line usually appears running from the corner straight to the papers edge. Otherwise the edges formed by the tape are straight. I have some Rubylith but haven't yet cut it to form borders. It's good to hear that it works as advertised. The last two prints I dry-mounted at ~200F for about 1.5 minutes with no discernible darkening of the print from the heat. They were printed on 130-Lb HP Fabriano Aristric and Lanaquerrelle.

Vaughn: I process alternative prints the same way – by pouring the developer and fix over the print in an otherwise empty tray and then pouring the solutions back into beakers for the next print.

Thomas

[sanking]

Thank you, Thomas.
The paper I used was Bergger Cot 320, I usually print on the side with more texture.
Yes, it was Rubylith on a OHP transparency (cheap laser-jet stuff from my office) above the negative.
After development I use citric acid clearing bath where the unexposed sensitizer clears very nicely - or it seems so - but when I tried toning in selenium the sensitized area became visible - though only faintly. And I do not know the reason for this. Any clue anyone?

Selenium will react with minute traces of soluble silver nitrate left in the paper after the citric acid clearing bath and cause faint staining. You could try a second or third clearing bath in an effort to get rid of all the soluble silver, but in that case it may be necessary to over-print to compensate for the reduction.

Sandy

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Inspired by Thomas' wonderful print. We both love the same spot. Carbon Transfer 11x14. Cropped because I can't scan the whole print.

[andreios]

Thomas - could you perhaps point out a brand or type of artists tape so that I could search for something around these parts? (via PM, if it is not appropriate in the thread) - I have heard and seen this method but all the tapes I have at hand do a slight damage to the structure of the paper... - that's why I am using rubylith.

Sandy - thank you for your explanation - I was suspecting something of the sort... Will try another time with overprinting and repeated clearing. (however, I would say that at least for me kallitypes developed in borax+tartaric acid tend to become bore brown-ish in selenium. Prints developed in sodium citrate on the other hand produce more grey-ish tones in selenium - which is what I am currently after.)

[andreios]

Jim, that is a wonderful print - and a great place!

[Vaughn]

Jim, that is a wonderful print - and a great place!

+1!

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Thanks guys. That one is hanging in a local gallery. Opening on the 6th of April.

[tgtaylor]

Great image Jim. Looks like you took yours a little further in than mine. I was positioned at the beginning of the road - the sign is just out of view on the right - and I used a 240mm lens. It's a great view and I've become quite fond of my print after living with it for 10 days going from "it's too soft" to "it's perfect", if you know what I mean. It's the toning that made it IMO.

Androis: 3M makes an artists tape that, while expensive (~ $3.50US for a little roll), won't harm your prints. I use it now for very light weight paper for that reason. Blick sells an artists tape for about 1/4 the price of the 3M brand but the adhesive can harm lightweight paper. I use it on 130-Lb paper with good results. Unlike the 3-M sensitizer is unlikely to work its way thru except at the very corners but the adhesive binding is a little too strong for lightweight paper. Rubylith is the way to go.

Thomas

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Thomas, yes I was in a bit closer and since this is an 11x14 image my scanner can't get it all. It is hard to show images on the web and I know what you mean about having to live with them for a while. They do grow on you.