Alan Townsend
11-Jul-2023, 12:32
I would like to share three alternate printing processes with the world, and just want to make sure this is the best forum for that. These are all variations to some degree of other historical printing processes. They all three print from positives, which are more convenient for those working in smaller formats since negatives print to a positive in one step.
First, I will discuss diazotypes, which are not my idea, but print easily from enlarged positives, so became my personal favorite about 35 years ago. Diazo paper was modern blueprint material at that time. You could buy a roll of it at the architectural supply for almost nothing, I think is was maybe $15 for a 3 by 50-foot roll in blue, brown, or black tones. It was thin paper with a yellowish coating, much like cyanotype sensitizer. I exposed in the Arizona sun to 16x20 enlarged positives that I made on Ortho Litho film developed in d23 in a roll processing drum. With this, I made some of the most beautiful prints in my life, although a little on the contrasty side. To develop, roll them up inside a 6-inch diameter PVC pipe and place an ammonia-soaked paper towel i the bottom, cap it off, and a few minutes later the prints come out dry.
The prints were very impermanent, which I liked at the time. I put them up on the walls and they would fade out in a year or so. Instead of crying about impermanence I would simply print them again, maybe in a different color. Usually, I would get sick of them and try different pictures. This was before I could just look at my photography on my nice big monitor to decide if they were good eough to keep or not. This was how I proofed my photography to myself back then. It was even a little cheaper than RCVC enlarging paper even including the ortho litho film.
The three processes I want to communicate are all archival.
1. A simple variation of carbon printing that works using a positive.
2, A deep relief printing process similar to an oil print but preserves the full depth of the swollen emulsion. I'm talking 1/16 inch of depth or a bit more.
3. A more experimental process that uses dichromated gelatin on primed paper similar to a carbon print but without transfer. Dyes are used to penetrate the swollen emulsion. I confirmed Iron Gall ink formulations will work here. I did this experiment just last winter.
I worked on these independently, although very possible others have done similar experiments.
First, I will discuss diazotypes, which are not my idea, but print easily from enlarged positives, so became my personal favorite about 35 years ago. Diazo paper was modern blueprint material at that time. You could buy a roll of it at the architectural supply for almost nothing, I think is was maybe $15 for a 3 by 50-foot roll in blue, brown, or black tones. It was thin paper with a yellowish coating, much like cyanotype sensitizer. I exposed in the Arizona sun to 16x20 enlarged positives that I made on Ortho Litho film developed in d23 in a roll processing drum. With this, I made some of the most beautiful prints in my life, although a little on the contrasty side. To develop, roll them up inside a 6-inch diameter PVC pipe and place an ammonia-soaked paper towel i the bottom, cap it off, and a few minutes later the prints come out dry.
The prints were very impermanent, which I liked at the time. I put them up on the walls and they would fade out in a year or so. Instead of crying about impermanence I would simply print them again, maybe in a different color. Usually, I would get sick of them and try different pictures. This was before I could just look at my photography on my nice big monitor to decide if they were good eough to keep or not. This was how I proofed my photography to myself back then. It was even a little cheaper than RCVC enlarging paper even including the ortho litho film.
The three processes I want to communicate are all archival.
1. A simple variation of carbon printing that works using a positive.
2, A deep relief printing process similar to an oil print but preserves the full depth of the swollen emulsion. I'm talking 1/16 inch of depth or a bit more.
3. A more experimental process that uses dichromated gelatin on primed paper similar to a carbon print but without transfer. Dyes are used to penetrate the swollen emulsion. I confirmed Iron Gall ink formulations will work here. I did this experiment just last winter.
I worked on these independently, although very possible others have done similar experiments.