Advice for B+W RC print dryer

mlittl23797430 · Sep 26, 2020

Hello everyone
I'm getting back into photography after many years' absence.
Are print dryers helpful if you print mainly black and white RC paper? I know it's not required, but does it make for a cleaner, flatter print?
If so, could anyone recommend some makes and models? I'm seeing a Beseler 1620 for sale for $220 -- although I'm not even sure if that's for RC or fiber prints. I find many options on Ebay which are outside my budget, like $500-1000.
Thanks!

Dan0001 · Sep 26, 2020

IMO there is no need for a print dryer...Ilford RC papers dry flat on screens in about 1 hour after you squeegee them. If you absolutely need to dry one immediately use a hair dryer.

mlittl23797430 · Sep 26, 2020

Thanks Dan!

removed account4 · Sep 26, 2020

mlittl23797430 said:
Hello everyone
I'm getting back into photography after many years' absence.
Are print dryers helpful if you print mainly black and white RC paper? I know it's not required, but does it make for a cleaner, flatter print?
If so, could anyone recommend some makes and models? I'm seeing a Beseler 1620 for sale for $220 -- although I'm not even sure if that's for RC or fiber prints. I find many options on Ebay which are outside my budget, like $500-1000.
Thanks!

if you use a windshield wiper ( cheep squeegee and you get 2 of them ) and a sheet of Plexiglas, or glass or something flat, and squeegee the standing water from the print they dry very fast. Be careful with driers. I have always been told never to use a print dryer for RC prints because one runs the risk of melting the print onto the drum, and as a student in a shared darkroom back in the day, I witnessed students who put their rc prints on the drum and couldn't get them removed. FB prints are a different beast, but still dry not too slowly after they've been squeegee'd and dangled by a corner or put on a screen.

have fun!
John

Nokton48 · Sep 26, 2020

I hang mine off a metal wire strung across my darkroom. Cheap wooden clothespins are fine. No drying marks.

Rick A · Sep 26, 2020

Dan0001 said:
IMO there is no need for a print dryer...Ilford RC papers dry flat on screens in about 1 hour after you squeegee them. If you absolutely need to dry one immediately use a hair dryer.

Yup, that's all.

MattKing · Sep 26, 2020

For up to 12x16 prints, I squeegee my prints on to the refrigerator door, and when they have dried substantially, I peel them off and stand them up in old style metal LP record racks to air dry for the rest of the time needed. \the air drying racks will do the job by themselves, but the flat surface of the refrigerator door speeds things up.
There are/were RC print dryers made for high volume environments like newspaper photo departments. They use/used warm air and moving rollers to speed drying. Some of them were aimed at Cibachrome
Here is my refrigerator from a few years ago, with most of the prints for an APUG (now Photrio) postcard exchange:

Paul Howell · Sep 26, 2020

Living in the desert, screens on the patio, prints dry in little as 10 mints, I do use a hair dryer to dry a test strip to figure the dry down tones.

voceumana · Sep 26, 2020

Ditto on using a hair dryer for quick drying. I suppose if I were doing a lot of prints, I would fabricate a set of racks and a fan to force air over the prints.

Mick Fagan · Sep 26, 2020

RC print dryers are fantastic, that said you will need to weigh the pros and cons with regard to cost.

I've been running RC print dryers in my darkroom for around 30 years, for quick finished results you can see a finished print with reduced washing in about 2 minutes from when you placed it in the developing tray. Once you have established your exposure and developing strategy, then you can do a more archival wash etc.

As for a better finish, back in the 90's Ilford RC gloss paper was designed to give the best finish using a hot paper dryer. The difference was there, but it was very little difference. I do not know if the same thing applies to their current papers, it may or may not.

I use my print dryer for everything, be that one piece of paper, or 50 + sheets going through in a big session.

If you see a drum paper dryer advertised, that is for fibre paper, roller transport air driers are all designed for RC paper and if you one day switch to colour paper prints from negative film, then the dryer is perfect for that too.

Mick.

mlittl23797430 · Sep 27, 2020

Thanks, everyone! Much appreciated.

Advice for B+W RC print dryer

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