Best way to Dry Prints

[rbarker]

. . . How you do that?

60mm Micro Nikkor, available dryness.

 

[ForrestHurley]

I, too, have dried work prints in the microwave for years - but I never considered drying a fine print that way. I always assumed the process would hurt something over the years, but I have nothing to base that assumption on. Does anyone have any fully processed and washed prints they dried in a microwave years ago? What's the result?

If not, maybe I'll do one tonight and report back in 25-years.
juan

It's not been quite 25 years yet, but did you end up running that test?

 

[GregY]

Tumble dry, low heat, works like a charm.

. Carpets & clothespins aside. Fiber based (baryta) paper does not inherently dry flat....that's a characteristic of RC (plastic) paper. Common practices are to airdry on screens, and then flatten under weight or as many of us do.....a minute or so in a dry mount press.....

 

[AERO]

I used one of these low heat clothes driers back in the 1960s - excellent for babies napkins worn those days. (UK OLDER readers will probably know them as the Flatley Clothed Drier...)

I cleaned th sides... slapped on the old Agfa wet prints on the enamelled sides and switch on and when they dried they fell off..worked well (and prints still as good toda)y

 

[Rick A]

I rarely make FB prints these days, and dry them in a Kodak blotter roll. They end up with a slight curve, but flatten easily for mounting and framing.

 

[Ulrich Drolshagen]

I do have a Premeir print dryer that I got with my enlarger, but have never used it. It consists of a large convex stainless steel plate which is heated up. It looks like you set prints on then lay this cloth-type cover over it while it dries.

I did not read the full thread but I noticed quite a number of different seemingly working procedures. As it seems all what you need is to your disposal already. What I have to offer is advice to make use of it.
First of all make shure the covering cloth is clean of residual gelatine.
I put my wet prints on a clean flat surface (glass in my case) and wipe the water off with a spare windshield wiper. Then I put the print, face up, on the heated dryer. Mine is not regulated and to my experience this is not necessary. It gets as hot as it gets. Close the dryer with the cloth and wait until the cloth does not feel damp anymore. When you open the dryer again the print will slightly stick to the cloth. If it doesn't come off easy close the dryer again wait a minute and try again. Take the hot print out put it flat on a table and cover it with a piece of mat board until it is cold. That's how I do it and it works for me. To my knowledge this is the fastest way to get dry flat lying prints.

 

[Don_ih]

Close the dryer with the cloth and wait until the cloth does not feel damp anymore.

My one contribution here is that some Foma paper will get destroyed if you do that. I learned the hard way. I generally use a very old cylindrical print dryer. I can't remember what Foma paper it was, but the emulsion must be quite soft since it stuck to the cloth like it was glued. So, before diving all-in, test a piece. Ilford paper, however, never has such a problem. (Same with Kodak and Agfa, but those papers are all no longer made, so not that relevant.)

 

[Ulrich Drolshagen]

You may be right. I up till now exclusively do it with Ilford paper. It never came to my mind that it may only work with this.

 

[Saganich]

Well I've tried just about everything mentioned to good and bad effect. I settled (meaning that intersection between cost, convenience, and outcome) on large aluminum framed window screens just stacked-up on top of one another. There is the perfect space between screens so the prints dry with a bit of curl, which is tempered when framing for presentation, so don't worry if they aren't totally flat like RC.

 

[mshchem]

My one contribution here is that some Foma paper will get destroyed if you do that. I learned the hard way. I generally use a very old cylindrical print dryer. I can't remember what Foma paper it was, but the emulsion must be quite soft since it stuck to the cloth like it was glued. So, before diving all-in, test a piece. Ilford paper, however, never has such a problem. (Same with Kodak and Agfa, but those papers are all no longer made, so not that relevant.)

The Foma papers are much softer (gelatin is not throughly hardened) if you use a heated dryer hardening fixer helps a lot. Of course this means hypo clearing agent and extended wash times (the old Kodak protocols).

The only time I use hardening fixer the days is for fiber base paper that I dry on a Pako drum dryer. Another approach is use a separate hardening bath after washing. But then a 2nd wash is required.

Toners can really soften emulsions.

 

[cirwin2010]

I use some canvas stretchers with fiberglass window screen pulled across it as drying trays. I dry my prints face up. I tried face down like I saw recommended, but that leaves the screen texture impressed into the surface. Drying my prints this way certainly creates curl.

I do plan to build some sort of drying rack this summer. My initial though is to make some more "trays" in the above mentioned way, but with some sort of way to slot them onto a rack under my sink to save space. There might be a more sophisticated way to create a drying rack that is a bit more enclosed for protection and maybe a fan for airflow? If anyone has plans worth sharing I'd be curious to see what other have constructed!

On a similar note, I might create something similar as a humidity chamber for alt process work. Basically a mostly enclosed drying rack, but with a tray of water at the bottom and maybe some sort of baffle to control the humidity level?

 

[cliveh]

I usually hang them up on a close line by cloths pins (on the corner of the print) and let them drip dry. Is this a "no, no"?

I would suggest you are drying your prints correctly, as this has always worked for me.

 

[GregY]

I use some canvas stretchers with fiberglass window screen pulled across it as drying trays. I dry my prints face up. I tried face down like I saw recommended, but that leaves the screen texture impressed into the surface. Drying my prints this way certainly creates curl.

I do plan to build some sort of drying rack this summer. My initial though is to make some more "trays" in the above mentioned way, but with some sort of way to slot them onto a rack under my sink to save space. There might be a more sophisticated way to create a drying rack that is a bit more enclosed for protection and maybe a fan for airflow? If anyone has plans worth sharing I'd be curious to see what other have constructed!

On a similar note, I might create something similar as a humidity chamber for alt process work. Basically a mostly enclosed drying rack, but with a tray of water at the bottom and maybe some sort of baffle to control the humidity level?

Exactly the same findings... I never dry baryta paper face down any more.... always face up

 

[brian steinberger]

I usually hang them up on a close line by cloths pins (on the corner of the print) and let them drip dry. Is this a "no, no"?

I would suggest you are drying your prints correctly, as this has always worked for me.

This is what I do as well. Of course it curls, but I own a dry mount press so can flatten later. Maybe others have noticed, or think that flat on screens is better because hanging by one corner creates stresses on the paper as it dries? I would think this would only be an issue with larger sizes. 11x14 and up I’d recommend two clips.

 

[Don_ih]

I've flattened prints many times with a clothes iron (and a piece of parchment paper (not wax paper)). There is one reason to try to dry prints flat, though: some paper will get a ripple emanating from the edge inward that won't come out with any amount of ironing. Seems to not happen with glossy papers as much as with matte.