Alt process equipment and contact frame question.

[Anupam]

When I have done alt printing before, I have managed with pretty makeshift materials. But now I am thinking of doing it in a more organized way and need some basic lab type supplies. Nothing extraordinary - graduated beakers, amber bottles with droppers, a few bottles to store powders in, labels, glass rods to stir and to make a "puddle pusher" with. But I can't find a local or even online place that will sell me these in small quantities. Any recommendations would be very helpful.

Also, I have always used contact frames with conventional glass before. But it seems that most glass will cut out a chunk of the UV spectrum and thus raise exposure times. Since I am using sunlight, this can sometimes be a problem as light changes, cloud comes in etc. This makes timing exposures and getting exactly repeatable exposures somewhat difficult. So, I was thinking of making a glassless contact frame. Basically like a mat that grips only the very edges of the negative. Since I am only printing 4x5, this might be feasible, but does anyone have any experience with or comments on the possible advantages or disadvantages of such contact printing?

Thanks,
Anupam

[sanking]

My opinion is that, 1) this won't work in that it won't give good pressure between the negative and sensitized material, and 2) it is not necessary anyway since most of the UV processes are highly sensitive to light in the 360 and over nanometer range, of which normal plate glass passes a very high percentage.

A better option would be to find a speciality glass for your contact printing frame that passes UV light in high percentage down to about 300 nanometers. They exist, though at this point I can noit remember the names, other than bora silicate which comes to mind.

But in the end I think you won't achieve much going in this direction.

I did a lot of research and testing on this some years ago and have an article that you might find useful at http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Light/light.html

Sandy King


When I have done alt printing before, I have managed with pretty makeshift materials. But now I am thinking of doing it in a more organized way and need some basic lab type supplies. Nothing extraordinary - graduated beakers, amber bottles with droppers, a few bottles to store powders in, labels, glass rods to stir and to make a "puddle pusher" with. But I can't find a local or even online place that will sell me these in small quantities. Any recommendations would be very helpful.

Also, I have always used contact frames with conventional glass before. But it seems that most glass will cut out a chunk of the UV spectrum and thus raise exposure times. Since I am using sunlight, this can sometimes be a problem as light changes, cloud comes in etc. This makes timing exposures and getting exactly repeatable exposures somewhat difficult. So, I was thinking of making a glassless contact frame. Basically like a mat that grips only the very edges of the negative. Since I am only printing 4x5, this might be feasible, but does anyone have any experience with or comments on the possible advantages or disadvantages of such contact printing?

Thanks,
Anupam

[Brian Ellis]

Changing light can drive you crazy when you try to use natural lighting. I tried it for a while and concluded that I was never going to be able to make consistently good prints that way. I'd suggest building a light box or having a carpenter type build one for you. It's very simple and won't take any decent carpenter or "do-it-yourself" type more than an hour or so. The "box" isn't really a box, it's just two short sides and a top made of plywood or something similar. You attach under-the-counter fluorescent light fixtures from Home Depot to the underside of the top and that's about it. You leave the two long sides open for ventilation and to slide the contact printing frame in and out of the "box." Exposures are usually so long, at least with the alt processes I did, that you don't need to worry about connecting a timer to the light source (i.e. a few seconds either way isn't going to matter when your exposures are measured in several minutes).

I agree with Sandy that your idea of eliminating glass isn't going to work. The film and paper need to be in good firm, consistent contact with each other at all points and that's not going to happen if they're held together only around the edges. When they aren't in good consistent contact all the way around you end up with areas of the print that look "soft" or out of focus. That's why places like Great Basin and people like Doug Kennedy are able to charge a hundred dollars and up for their contact printing frames.

[Claude Sapp]

Here are a few places I buy from:

amber bottles -
http://www.sunburstbottle.com/

lab equipment -
http://www.sciplus.com/
http://secure.sciencecompany.com/index.aspx

[Anupam]

Thanks for the advice. I have manged to order some basic equipment and will stick to my old contact frame.

A question about paper - I have read that some people use fixed out silver paper and was thinking of using a stack of 5x7 RC paper that I have sitting around and will probably never use for silver printing. Would RC paper work? And are regular photo papers too alkaline for Cyanotypes?

Thanks,
Anupam

[eddie]

funny, i have had good results with the sun. i found that when the clouds go in i needed only to increase the exposure a small amount. i was printing in the first week of july in NY. the sun was out and my exposure was 4 min. the clouds rolled in and then i needed 5 min. not too bad at all.

[Jim Noel]

Thanks for the advice. I have manged to order some basic equipment and will stick to my old contact frame.

A question about paper - I have read that some people use fixed out silver paper and was thinking of using a stack of 5x7 RC paper that I have sitting around and will probably never use for silver printing. Would RC paper work? And are regular photo papers too alkaline for Cyanotypes?

Thanks,
Anupam

I doubt if the sensitizer will adhere to the plastic base of this "paper". It needs to be absorbed somewhat by the media upon which it is to be printed.

[D. Bryant]

funny, i have had good results with the sun. i found that when the clouds go in i needed only to increase the exposure a small amount. i was printing in the first week of july in NY. the sun was out and my exposure was 4 min. the clouds rolled in and then i needed 5 min. not too bad at all.

It's tough to do this at night though.

Don Bryant