A question about albumen printing

[Lightfire]

I've decided to try albumen printing and started with a standard solution of salted egg albumen, expect the thing I didn't add sodium citrate. And I've got a problem when I start coating the layer of albumen with silver nitrate. It seems to exhaust too fast during coating, so I always have such problems. What could be the reason? Too much silver chloride? Should I add sodium citrate?

Thank you in advance for your answer.
Igor.

 

[koraks]

Use more silver nitrate solution.

Coating albumen with a rod/puddle pusher or a brush is always tricky. The albumen layer usually comes out fine with a little practice, but the silver nitrate step is challenging. Really the best way in terms of quality is floating the albumen paper on the silver solution as they did back in the old days, but it's relatively messy and requires a lot of silver nitrate solution (thus it's costly).

 

[Lightfire]

Use more silver nitrate solution.

Coating albumen with a rod/puddle pusher or a brush is always tricky. The albumen layer usually comes out fine with a little practice, but the silver nitrate step is challenging. Really the best way in terms of quality is floating the albumen paper on the silver solution as they did back in the old days, but it's relatively messy and requires a lot of silver nitrate solution (thus it's costly).

There's another problem. Right now I use Canson Crob D'Art paper, although I also tried to do it with Bergger Cot 320. I have to say, it was possible to coat with silver nitrate it even with a brush. But I have to say I made a new solution of albumen since then, so that's why I guessed it could be a problem in the formula

 

[koraks]

Albumen is a bit of an iffy product as it's obviously from a natural source (thus not really a very well controlled compound) and its properties vary quite distinctly with factors such as dilution, adjuvants (e.g. vinegar, citrate) and aging of the albumen. Taking into account as well variations among papers, it becomes pretty difficult to establish a perfectly repeatable working procedure. So I suppose the old adage is true here as well: try to work as systematic and repeatable as possible, modify only one or two variables at a time and experiment until you figure out a working method that works for you, with your materials and abilities.

 

[Lightfire]

I've tried to dilute salted albumen with the rest of the egg whites I had. I've also added some sodium citrate into the solution. It seems it helped, at least somehow.
But there's another problem. Although I steam the albumen layer before coating, it seems to "wash off" during coating with silver nitrate. The pic by itself looks fine, but the surface of the image is matte, with streak-like gloss. Should I steam it for a longer time?

Thank you in advance for your answer.
Igor
"

 

[koraks]

I've never been able to really resolve this issue satisfactorily, really. Perhaps additional hardening (steaming, aging, treatment with a chemical hardener) helps, perhaps it'll introduce new issues. For sure additional hardening will make washing more challenging with repercussions for the long-term stability of the print and highlight staining.

If I were to commit to this process (and I decided I didn't want to), I'd really just go the float method. It's how it was done industrially back in the day, it's how I see some of today's albumen printers work, so it's likely just the most fail safe approach.

You might give coating using cotton wool a try; it might allow for an even spread, some penetration of the sensitizer into the albumen layer without necessarily damaging the surface.

I personally found that thin layers of albumen are much easier to work with than heavier layers, but this thin albumen layers will only make a bit of an eggshell semi-gloss (which can be quite attractive), no really 'typical' albumen shiny gloss.

 

[removedacct1]

The only way to get a really good albumen print is by floating the paper on the silver nitrate solution. I found all methods of application by brush or rod to be unsatisfactory: lots of streaks and brush marks.

 

[juan]

I age my albumenized paper in my attic for months. I’ve never had a problem coating with a Richeson brush and enough silver nitrate solution.

 

[greg zinselmeier]

what causes cracks in Albumen prints?

does. . .. . .

1. after seperating and whipping eggwhites, does adding water to the albumen ( with the eventual evaporation after application on paper) cause cracks?
2. after 1st coating, hardening in Isopropyl Alcohol, cuase cracking?
3. after 1st coating, does using a blow dryer to speed up drying time cause cracks?
4. Does anyone recommend hardening in Isopropyl alcohol after the second coat? If I do, Does the 2nd hardening cause cracking?

 

[juan]

I can’t help much as I have not had cracks. That said, I do not do alcohol hardening, nor do I use a blow dryer except after applying the silver. After a lot of searching, I found a hair dryer that has a no heat setting, and I use that one. I also use distilled water in my albumen mix.
I don’t know if this helps any or not.