Platinum Printing?

[zenny]

Zenny,

Did you ever had a a platinum/palladium print in your hands? I'm asking because the aesthetics of a Pt/Pd print is quite different form a glossy FB print (obviously), it's much more silent/subdued, and the texture of the paper is a very prominent factor..I have been printing platinum on and off for years now (and I am NOT a master at all) and still I am not convinced of the mythical qualities sometimes attributed to platinum prints..heresy perhaps but I am strictly speaking for myself.

For some images it sings, for others its well bland..I taught myself Pt printing so that perhaps explains..;-)..but I did had print made by a master printer in my hands (Carl Weese)

Best,

Cor

@Cor: I have not printed with pt-pd, but have experience with other processes for a long time. A good print relies on several factors (for pt-pd print, I have outlined below). Even a master printer cannot print a mythical print without several exposed strips wasted (as shown in V. Tony Hauser's video). Same applies to other processes including silver print. So, in my view, pd-pt like other processes always remains a trial and error method. Tolerance to bear the failure and a desire to experiment produce a better print, not only in pt-pd printing.

In summary, the variables to produce a "mythical" quality Pt-Pd prints reportedly are:
1) density of chemicals (Potassium chloroplatinite - K2PtCl4 + Palladium dichloride - PdCl2 and Ferric Oxalate- C6Fe2O12) in emulsion
2) quality of negative (Mitsubishi Pictorico OHP transparency for digital negatives with digital colour correction)
3) strength and temperature of the developer (Potassium ferrioxalate - K3[Fe(C2O4)3] )
4) quality and structure of the paper fibers
5) a nose for understanding and experimenting with chemical processes, and
6) the passion to face the challenges of failure to succeed.

Correct me if I missed something. Thanks!

PS: You mentioning "masters" reminded me of an ancient Sanskrit expression that reads, "Nothing can grow under the eminence of a banyan tree." (for knowing more about banyan, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banyan)

/z

[Vaughn]

7) An image worth printing

Vaughn

[Wayne Lambert]

Thanks, Don.

I'm sure that one can learn to be an excellent platinum printer without ever taking a workshop; it's just that many of us like to learn from demonstrations by someone who already knows.

It has been said that platinum printing, like so many other endeavors, is easy to learn but difficult to master. The "master"part comes from long experience and making and dealing with many mistakes.

Best of luck, Zenny. You seem to have the interest and commitment, and I'm sure you will do well if you wish.

Wayne

[zenny]

Thanks, Don.

I'm sure that one can learn to be an excellent platinum printer without ever taking a workshop; it's just that many of us like to learn from demonstrations by someone who already knows.

It has been said that platinum printing, like so many other endeavors, is easy to learn but difficult to master. The "master"part comes from long experience and making and dealing with many mistakes.

Best of luck, Zenny. You seem to have the interest and commitment, and I'm sure you will do well if you wish.

Wayne

Thank Wayne for encouraging comment. :-) I cannot say for sure that I could be a good one, but try to print some anyway.

Before I posted this comment, I was checking your interesting site as Don advised to. I could see the difference between the quality of platinum and inkjet printing with one of your photographs. I just put them side by side to check the difference (see attachment, but they belong to you).

Some of your pictures are mind blowing! :-D Thank you very much for sharing! And thanks to community here!

/z

[zenny]

7) An image worth printing

Vaughn

Oh missed that part! Thanks for appending! :-D

[Wayne Lambert]

Zenny,

Thank you for your kind remarks. I have two types of prints because I have two types of 8 x 10 (and 4 x 5) negatives: early negatives that were made for gelatin-silver printing and later negatives made for platinum/palladium printing. Recently, I have printed the early negatives with an Epson 3880 printer and Epson inks. Also, I scanned all the negatives that are represented on my website with an Epson V700 scanner and, for consistency, made the images on my website from these scanned negatives. I experimented with Epson Advanced Black and White until I found a color for the digital prints that closely matches my palladium prints. Also, for the website I use a color that mimics the palladium color. I believe that one of the two images of Arminda is the only image on the website that is scanned from a palladium print; I use it as an example of a scanned print. You reproduced both the Arminda from scanned print and the Arminda from scanned negative. The one on the left is from the scanned print; it's on-screen color is not as warm as the original print. In terms of prints, it is amazing to me how closely the palladium prints and the digital prints resemble each other. I attribute it in part to the fact that I make the digital print the same size as the palladium print.

Wayne