Another Gum-Over Question

for all you folks that do gumover plt/pld. When making prints with a black border all the way around, I don't have any issue with the gum layer showing (it is more or less hidden by that black border). But on the occasionaly print where I mask (crop) the negative and have only white space how do you get those gum layers down without a bit of the gum layer showing?

Have one print that I worked on, and looks OK, but it seems that a very little bit of the gum layer found its way under the tape (paper texture allowed a bit of bleed I think) and the gum shows more like a rought edge than a nice smooth one. Was using the blue (quick release) painters tape to mask. Aside from cutting the negative to size, are there any other tricks you folks could share?

Thanks,

Mike,

If I get some under the mask, I cover it with a piece of Rubylith when I expose, and it for all intents disappears in the wash. Did you do that?


---Michael

Michael,

Good question, and no I did not. That seems simple enough, since I have both Rubylith sheet and tape. To be honest, did not notice it until after I had exposed the gum layer. What you suggest makes perfect sense though.

Thanks,

Mike,

OK, try that and I'm sure that unless you are having staining problems, it'll work for you.


---Michael

Thanks again Michael, can not believe I did not think about that.