Are there competitors to Liquid Light?

engelfoto · Mar 15, 2011

I've been thinking of printing on some Kozo (Thai Mulberry) and it seems like Rockland Liquid Light is the main choice, but I thought I read somewhere that there are alternative brands. Only thing is, Rockland seems to practically own the phrase "liquid emulsion", at least as far as Google is concerned.

I know people make their own. I really don't have the set up to do it though.

Does anybody know any other companies that make liquid emulsion for use on different papers and media?

Thanks!

removed account4 · Mar 15, 2011

i believe foma, maco/rollei makes some, and you used to be able to get liquid emulsion ( it is at freestyle photo )
through the photographer's formulary, but they don't seem to have it in their catalog at the moment.

K-G · Mar 15, 2011

Just be careful when you use the expression liquid light as this normally means potassium ferricyanide that is used for bleaching prints ( liquid light to make dark areas brighter ). Liquid light and and liquid emulsion is not necessarily the same thing.

Karl-Gustaf

gandolfi · Mar 15, 2011

K-G said:
Just be careful when you use the expression liquid light as this normally means potassium ferricyanide that is used for bleaching prints ( liquid light to make dark areas brighter ). Liquid light and and liquid emulsion is not necessarily the same thing.

Karl-Gustaf

but then again: so many people use the frase Liquid light inthe meaning of liquid emulsion, meaning Rockland Liquid Light .....

TETENAL made one: "Work" (I don't know whether they still do) (as I remember it, very expensive)(thin, but good - shiny surface (as I remember it - could remember wring..)
Ilford makes (I think they bought it from KENTMERE) SE1 (good and easy)(matt surface which might present a probelm in some motives)

My favourite is FOMA. Only problem is, that you need two layers of emulsion. Apart from that it is cheap - easy to work with, and with a beautiful semi glossy surface.
Also perfect (!!) for bromoil.

K-G · Mar 15, 2011

Just a precaution so you know what getting.

Karl-Gustaf

K-G · Mar 15, 2011

K-G said:
Just a precaution so you know what getting.

Karl-Gustaf

what you are getting.

Sorry ! writing to fast to late in the evening.
Good night

Karl-Gustaf

jp498 · Mar 15, 2011

If you don't mind contact printing rather than enlarging onto your special paper, you could try some alt process choices like vandyke or cyanotype, and tone them if you want a slight different tint. To get the negative for the contact printing, you can use a duplicating sheet film (I use xray dupe film), or use a hybrid method where you print out negatives on pictorico film with your inkjet.

Gerald C Koch · Mar 16, 2011

There is also salted paper for contact printing.

Gerald C Koch · Mar 16, 2011

K-G said:
Just be careful when you use the expression liquid light as this normally means potassium ferricyanide that is used for bleaching prints ( liquid light to make dark areas brighter ). Liquid light and and liquid emulsion is not necessarily the same thing.

Karl-Gustaf

In sixty years of photography I have never heard this expression used for bleaching prints. Is it a european expression?

gandolfi · Mar 17, 2011

Gerald C Koch said:
In sixty years of photography I have never heard this expression used for bleaching prints. Is it a european expression?

not Danish.. I never heard about it before either..

K-G · Mar 17, 2011

OK , I mixed up the expression with liquid sunshine . I blame the mistake on the Scandinavian lack of sunshine in wintertime so many of us regard any light available as sunshine. That liquid sunshine is a known expression, that is certain but I don't know how widely used it is. I enclose a link to a workshop with Tim Rudman A day at the bleach were it is used.
While at last enjoying the natural spring sunshine, best regards to all of you.

Karl-Gustaf

http://www.goldstreetstudios.com.au/Workshops/BleachTimRudman1410.html

Jim Noel · Mar 17, 2011

In recent years Fuji has made a liquid emulsion. I am not sure if that is still true.

holmburgers · Mar 21, 2011

I don't know why no one linked to this... http://freestylephoto.biz/c108-Alternative-Process-Liquid-Emulsion

gandolfi · Mar 21, 2011

holmburgers said:
I don't know why no one linked to this... http://freestylephoto.biz/c108-Alternative-Process-Liquid-Emulsion

Good to see they have the Foma on top...

A little more expensive than the price I am used to pay.. (about half price) - but still worth the money!

the other brands seems very expensive to me..... (I might be spoiled...)

holmburgers · Mar 21, 2011

Tell me this... can these liquid emulsions, properly used, create results comparable to a high quality b&w print on paper?

Photo Engineer · Mar 21, 2011

holmburgers · Mar 21, 2011

edit: I'm gonna double check my calculations....

gandolfi · Mar 22, 2011

Photo Engineer said:
Yes.

+1

removed account4 · Mar 22, 2011

Photo Engineer said:
Yes.

+2

Thomas Bertilsson · Mar 22, 2011

To those that have used the Foma product. How many prints in something like 11x14" size will 1kg coat? I'm thinking of using it with some of the Hahnemuhle textured papers.

Thanks,

- Thomas

holmburgers · Mar 22, 2011

Thomas, I was doing the math yesterday and I think it's something like this...

1 kg coats 3-6² meters. 1² meter = 1,550.003² inches. Now, this is pathetic, but I'm not confident about the math at this point; assuming you just multiply 1,550 by 3 (& 6) that yields about 4650-9300² inches.

An 11x14" print is 154² inches, sooo... I guess a kg of Liquid Emulsion would coat about 30-60 sheets.

Does that seem about right?

When you look at it this way, it's a reasonable value.

Thomas Bertilsson · Mar 22, 2011

That does make it expensive, because you'd pay for the paper too. Yikes.
If it says that 1kg liquid emulsion will cover 3 square meters, then your math is correct. I wouldn't coat the whole sheet since I print 8x8" on that size paper, so I'd probably get a bit more. But still - yikes. Seems like they're trying to make a lot of profit on something that they put very little work into once the original R&D is done.

I will try it anyway. I have some of the Rockland Liquid Light at home, so I'll start there and see where I end up.

Thanks,

- Thomas

Photo Engineer · Mar 22, 2011

Thomas;

That will vary depending on coating method and amount of emulsion applied to the surface of the paper. In fact, the ability to produce a production quality print will vary from bad to excellent depending on application method.

I would estimate that you will use about 15 - 20 ml of emulsion for 1 11x14. This is base on my use of about 12 ml for each 8x10 and using a 5 mil gap for spreading. Best results are obtained by wire wrapped rods or coating blades, next would come a puddle pusher with wrapped ends to give a gap, and finally spray painting or using a brush (bristle or foam) for application.

PE

holmburgers · Mar 22, 2011

What is the consistency like? Is there a solvent in it that allows it to remain liquid? Does one heat it?

Thomas Bertilsson · Mar 22, 2011

Ron,

Does that amount stand true when using textured surface papers too?
My idea is to use something like Hahnemuhle Bamboo.

Thanks,

- Thomas

Are there competitors to Liquid Light?

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