fibre prints

PDE · Feb 11, 2018

My fiber paper retains an annoying curl after washing, and then drying them thru an old Sears electric print dryer. Suggestions to remedy this behavior? We have had single digit temps in Iowa, my darkroom set up and tear down is in the kitchen, where I always try to maintain proper chemical temperatures. Temps may vary slightly over a 3 or 5 hour print period. Should I have concerns, if I am not textbook perfect with my chemical temperatures?

mvs · Feb 18, 2018

hi, the curl on fibre is a pretty normal occurrence, especially in the winter when the air is very dry. I do not know about drying fibre prints in the Sears dryer. I dry mine on the mesh screen for up to 12 hours, run humidifier when in a really hot room and then put them between acid free blotter sheets and top all that with books. They come up flat and ready to be be pressed. Hope that helps.

R.Gould · Apr 2, 2018

For fibre a curl is normal, I don't know about heat drying but for Fibre I peg the prints back to back on a line, that is, the prints are pegged on each corner with clothes pegs, two at a time back to back, then the 2 upper pegs are in turn pegged to a clothes line that I have in my darkroom, left to dry overnight, they are pretty much straight, then I place the prints face to face between 2 sheets of mounting boards under weight for a time, maybe a day or so, and they are normally then perfectly flat
Richard

kreeger · Jun 8, 2018

The simple way I know to dry prints consistently - buy pairs of 2'x3' window screens. You need pairs because you want one on each side of the prints. After washing, you can blot the prints out using the blue "shop towel" paper towels, get them very dry. Put them between the screens and allow them to dry 24 hours. They should be pretty flat already, and if not to your liking, try putting some heavy books on a stack of the prints overnight.

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fibre prints

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