Paper for both Kallitype and Platinum?

[ericantonio]

I stopped using Arches Platine , I had terrible issues with bad paper, for awhile it was my go to paper.

What are you using now?

[Scott Davis]

Another vote for Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag. It's the best general-purpose printing paper out there for alt processes. I love some other papers for specialized use - I really like St. Armand Frobisher when I want a lighter-weight highly textured paper, but not everything works on that, and it's definitely not a paper to start learning the process on. There are a lot of papers that CAN work for the process, but you'd need to pre-acidify the paper, or do some other kinds of treatments to make them work. The best two choices for all-around are the HPR, or if you can't find it, Bergger COT320. Bergger is almost as good as Hahnemuhle, but Hahnemuhle has outstanding customer service in addition to being a first-rate paper. Bergger's attitude is very French- you have a problem? we don't care.

[bob carnie]

What are you using now?

Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag

[CreationBear]

Another vote for Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag.

A question: given you're literally (if not figuratively) in The Swamp, can I infer that HPR works pretty well in high relative humidity, or is your workspace climate-controlled enough to take that variable out of the equation? (My "dim room" here in Tennessee would challenge most portable dehumidifiers at least.)

[ericantonio]

A question: given you're literally (if not figuratively) in The Swamp, can I infer that HPR works pretty well in high relative humidity, or is your workspace climate-controlled enough to take that variable out of the equation? (My "dim room" here in Tennessee would challenge most portable dehumidifiers at least.)

Never thought of this but I remember I used to do a lot of calligraphy back in NYC when I was younger, and remembered on humid days, the ink would just go all over the place like some kind of Asian art...you know, what style where it is on purpose finds the veins in paper. I'm in socal dry weather these days, we only have to watch out for fires and stuff like that. Oh earthquakes too.

[ericantonio]

All this talk about printing and I'm really inspired by you guys. I'm now really interested in taking that PT/PD workshop set up by BS in New Mexico at end of September. $$$, but I think in the long run, better to spend that $$ and make mistakes in a controlled environment than me hit trial and error and testing this and that. I don't exactly have a darkroom anymore. Just equipment in boxes that I take out and take to the bathroom tub with me these days.

I do miss my Besseler 4x5 enlarger and Nova slot processors. I had a 16x20 one! But if feels good to downgrade and live simply with fewer things in life.

[CreationBear]

Oh earthquakes too.

Definitely grateful for your threads here--you're a bit further down the road than I am, but I'm beginning to suspect the Sandy King's and Wolfgang Moersch's of the world make this whole kallitype thing look easier than it is.

[Scott Davis]

A question: given you're literally (if not figuratively) in The Swamp, can I infer that HPR works pretty well in high relative humidity, or is your workspace climate-controlled enough to take that variable out of the equation? (My "dim room" here in Tennessee would challenge most portable dehumidifiers at least.)

I have decent central air and I run a dehumidifier in my basement where my darkroom is. I can keep the humidity in my work space to around 50%. I have to run a humidifier in the winter though.

[CreationBear]

I have decent central air and I run a dehumidifier in my basement where my darkroom is. I can keep the humidity in my work space to around 50%. I have to run a humidifier in the winter though.

Excellent, that's very helpful--IIRC Sandy King is standardized for 60% RH, so I'm getting a feel for a ballpark figure, though I might just have to keep a weather-eye on the hygrometer and make hay when the sun shines.

[sanking]

Definitely grateful for your threads here--you're a bit further down the road than I am, but I'm beginning to suspect the Sandy King's and Wolfgang Moersch's of the world make this whole kallitype thing look easier than it is.

You may be right about that. I made some beautiful prints with large in-camera negatives with pt/pd toned kallitypes, but with some papers could not avoid a slight veiling of the pape outside of the image area. But I never intended to deliberately make kallitype sound easy so my apologies if that seems to be the case!

When I began working primarily with digital negatives I switched to vandyke since the contrast control available with kalliype with ferric oxalate is not necessary with vandyke as digital work makes it easier to set the contrast with a curve on the image file, and overall I find vandyke with FAC to be much easier to work. And I must say that gold-toned vandykes, when toning is to completion, is one of the most appealing processes out there as the deep bluish back color is to die for.

I agree with others about Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag, beautiful paper for kallitype or pt/pd.

Sandy