After Dry Shine?

[aaronmichael]

At the beginning of the semester I decided to go with Arista Semi-Matte Fiber Paper for my printing. I'm a fan of matte finish but like a bit of that gloss look as well so I thought the paper would be a good compromise. However, after using it for a while I've realized that it is wayyy too matte for my liking. My question is - is there an inexpensive DIY way to add a little shine to a print after it's done drying?

(Next time I'll just make it easy on myself and buy the glossy paper).

 

[mike c]

Pt/Pl prints are some time's waxed,don't know what kind of wax and if it would work with your paper but you never know.

Mike

 

[Dan Williams]

I sometimes wax my Pt/Pd prints. It increases the visual D-Max and gives the paper a more satin look. I don't have a densitometer so I am unable to check the D-Max before and after but I think the wax only reduces light scatter from the matt paper and makes blacks appear to be darker. THIS is the stuff I use. The effect is not huge but it is there.

Dan

 

[tomalophicon]

You can laquer them. Freestyle sells some spray laquer that will gloss them up.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

A recent APUG (there was a url link here which no longer exists) on the subject...

Ken

 

[aaronmichael]

A recent APUG (there was a url link here which no longer exists) on the subject...

Ken

Just read over that thread and it seems that it's mostly about the effects of dry down. My prints are where I want them to be at the moment, I just dislike the fact that the surface of the paper is so flat. I was looking for some advice on giving them a slight glossy look.

What are Pt/Pl prints? I'll have to check out the wax and the spray lacquer.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Just read over that thread and it seems that it's mostly about the effects of dry down.

True, most of it got off-track and into the subject of drydown. But two of the suggestions, steaming and microwaving, do directly address the issue of enhancing the surface gloss of the paper after the print is finished.

Steaming is the time-honored traditional way. Microwaving a damp print seems to be another way to gain a similar effect. According to Ian Grant, both processes seem to result in a remelting of the paper's gelatin overcoat that produces an effect somewhere between air-drying (normal sheen) and a classic hot ferrotyping (mirror finish).

How these treatments - usually applied to glossy papers - might alter a matte surface paper I do not know, as I have not tried that. But a trial run on a scrap print would seem to be easy enough.

Ken

 

[Dan Williams]

;1153690]What are Pt/Pl prints?

Sorry, Pt/Pd is a commonly used shorthand for platinum/palladium. Pt/Pd printing involves hand coating art papers with a sensitizer and contact printing a negative. These papers generally have a
matt or semi-matt finish.

Dan

 

[aaronmichael]

Thanks for the responses. I'll try steaming a scrap print and see what happens.

 

[Worker 11811]

I'm printing up a bunch of photos on matte paper right now. I'm entering them in the spring show at the local art museum.

I usually use pearl finish but, from talking to people in the know around here, matte is the fashionable thing in these parts so that's what I got. I didn't like it but, after looking at it for a while, it's starting to grow on me.

Looking at the image on wet paper or after drying overnight, I didn't really care for it. But, after it is fully dried and flattened in a dry mount press it looks better. Even after that, it takes a day or two to really look its best. (At least, it seems that way to me.)

However, it really looks its best when matted, framed and placed under glass. I think it really looks good that way. I wasn't fond of it at first but, I like it better, now.

My suggestion is to see how it looks under glass. Maybe it'll grow on you.

 

[nworth]

Moab Desert Varnish, designed for digital prints, may be a possibility. I've seen prints treated with it, and it seems to work very well. It is archivally stable. Various finishes used by artists are also possibilities. You might explore some luster of pearl finished papers in the future.

 

[MartinP]

I wonder if people-in-the-street nowadays expect to see matt prints because that is the surface look you get from inkjet 'pigment' printers on normal paper ?

 

[aaronmichael]

I wonder if people-in-the-street nowadays expect to see matt prints because that is the surface look you get from inkjet 'pigment' printers on normal paper ?

Possibly. I just think my fiber paper is too matte. I like at least a little shine to my paper.

 

[Worker 11811]

The stuff I got has absolutely no shine either. It's a bit tricky to figure out which side is the emulsion side in the darkroom. If it wasn't for the curl toward the emulsion side it would be hard to tell.

When it's wet it looks all right but, as it starts to dry, the surface becomes totally matte. When it's dry it doesn't look like a regular photo. When I first saw the result I wasn't a fan at all. But, now, I have my three final prints ready to submit and they are all matted, framed and under glass. They look really nice.

If I wasn't going to frame them, I wouldn't pick matte finish, myself. But, like I said, the word on the street is that the stuff is fashionable in these parts. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have chosen it at all. I would have picked pearl finish.

For what it's worth, even if it's not your preference, the stuff grows on you after a while.

 

[aaronmichael]

The stuff I got has absolutely no shine either. It's a bit tricky to figure out which side is the emulsion side in the darkroom. If it wasn't for the curl toward the emulsion side it would be hard to tell.

When it's wet it looks all right but, as it starts to dry, the surface becomes totally matte. When it's dry it doesn't look like a regular photo. When I first saw the result I wasn't a fan at all. But, now, I have my three final prints ready to submit and they are all matted, framed and under glass. They look really nice.

If I wasn't going to frame them, I wouldn't pick matte finish, myself. But, like I said, the word on the street is that the stuff is fashionable in these parts. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have chosen it at all. I would have picked pearl finish.

For what it's worth, even if it's not your preference, the stuff grows on you after a while.

Funny what you said about not being able to tell which side the emulsion side is on. This is the first fiber paper I've used and at first I wasn't aware that the emulsion side is the side that curls up, so I printed a couple sheets the wrong way and was wondering why my exposure times had to be so long - hahah. Maybe I'll have to try putting some of mine under glass. But unfortunately that would cost way too much if I did it for every project.

 

[Worker 11811]

Film curl is something I deal with in the projection room a lot.

Emulsion absorbs water at a different rate than the base. Depending on the humidity of the air and of the film/paper emulsion and base, it will exhibit "positive" or "negative" curl. If the emulsion is a bit drier than the base, it will contract slightly and cause a "positive curl" where the film curves toward the emulsion side. If the emulsion absorbs enough water (such as right after development and before it fully dries) it might have a "negative curl" where the film curls toward the base side.

Most films are designed to have a slight positive curl (toward the emulsion) when they are at 50% to 60% humidity. Most papers will have a slight positive curl as well. However, in my experience, you are less likely to see a negative curl in photographic paper because the base is more absorbent. Film base (acetate or polyester) doesn't absorb water. Resin coated papers also have a less absorbent base and, although will exhibit curl, it won't be as much as fiber based.

A lot of times, you can tell which side of the paper goes up by the feel. It's usually the glossier side. On matte finished papers, there is very little difference.

One trick the old timers in the projection room used to use is to slightly moisten your lips (or your finger tips) and pinch the film between them. The emulsion will stick to the moist surface more readily than the base will.

Take that advice with a grain of salt. Although the trick does work, ask yourself: "Do you really want to put film in your mouth?" It won't kill you but it's not exactly health food, either. Besides, who wants to get saliva splotches all over their film?