post alternative techniques

[Sergio]

Hello everyone, my first experiments with Vandyke.
cavolfiore romano
8x10, Bergger cot 320
[IMG]cavolfiore romano by tonel8, on Flickr[/IMG]

4x10, Bergger cot 320
carciofo / artichoke
carciofo / artichoke by tonel8, on Flickr

particular columns Canova Temple
8x10, Bergger cot 320
[IMG]colonne tempio Canova VanDyke print by tonel8, on Flickr[/IMG]

[koraks]

Your first experiments are better than what I have to show for weeks of printmaking! Impressive!

What did you tone these with? The blacks are really neutral!

[Sergio]

thanks koraks,
roman cauliflower and artichoke I used a black cardboard for background;
I have prepared the paper with two coats of solution.

[koraks]

I double coat as well, but I don't seem to get the same density that you have there, you're doing something very right do you soak the paper in acid before coating?

[ron]

Hi all,

Here a (gold-toned) kallitype. Paper very cheap paper schut terschelling 300grm hotpressed. (a Dutch paper mill) prepped with a sulfamine acid bath.



Greetz, Ron.

[koraks]

Nicely done! I use Schut paper as well, I find it's the best paper available here at my local shop. I use the brightly colored blocks of drawing paper. Quite affordable as well. I looked at the Terschelling paper as well, but it's an aquarel paper and I found its texture too coarse for my smallish prints (usually 4x5" contacts to about 5x7" digital negatives, occasionally 8x10"). I usually print on the backside of the paper, which has a bit less pronounced texture still. I get the best results with the heavier variant that comes with the pink cover sheet.

[ron]

Yes. And the paper is one of the first (affordable) papers who did not left any staining after development. The Sulfamine acid made it only better Higher d-max.

[koraks]

I should try presoaking the paper in acid to see if I could boost the dmax of my VdB's a bit. Although I did a quick test last night with brush coating (which I had some trouble with in the past in terms of uneven sensitization) and the dmax seems quite nice.

Did you print this from a digital negative btw? It almost looks like it came from something smaller than 4x5 originally.

[Ramiro Elena]

@koraks and @Ramiro A quick tip about acidicing your paper. On apug is a thread to use Sulfamic Acid to get rid of the calcium stuff as acid buffer in the paper. Especially for the new cyanotype. Also Dr. Mike Ware mentioned it. I use it now for my kallitype prints. And it works like a charm.

That's one bitchin' thread ron! Lots of great info. I have to admit I didn't pay a lot of attention to Mike Ware's indications on paper when I first read it.
I made some quick tests this morning with paper I had at hand and citric acid developer. Thanks koraks for pointing me in the right direction. Still not getting the highlights I'd want but much better results. It is nice to work with heavier paper!

Fabriano 50% cotton.

img411 by rabato, on Flickr

[ron]

Yes, almost all of my prints are from digital negatives I have a cambo4x5 but I use it to little. And 4x5 is also to small for my needs ☺

Terschelling is also in a hot pressed variant with a very smooth feel.