Coating for small prints

Jeremy · May 11, 2005

Can anyone give me any hints on coating for very small prints? I have coated for 6x6 contacts before, but when I did that I just coated a 5x7 area and then layed all my 6x6 contacts on it at once. Any suggestions for when I want to do 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 contacts and do not want to coat a larger block?

Also I have heard rules of thumb for the amount of coating solution to use, does this still apply when printing these smaller images? Any suggestions on a drop amount to use with a magic brush for 3 1/4 x 4 1/4?

Joe Lipka · May 12, 2005

Try to keep your volume/area ratio about the same. That's about all I can suggest.

Can't make any suggestions on using the magic brush, I haven't started using mine yet.

Kerik · May 12, 2005

Jeremy Moore said:
Any suggestions on a drop amount to use with a magic brush for 3 1/4 x 4 1/4?

3 or 4 drops each of ferric and metal should be enough. Use no larger than a 2" Magic Brush. And, although it needs to be fairly wet, don't leave too much water in the brush or you will dilute the sensitizer. Also, consider using a 4.5" coating rod (aka puddle pusher) instead.

Kerik
www.kerik.com

photomc · May 12, 2005

This will sound a little odd, Jeremy - and I love my magic bursh, but for the size you are talking about you might try using a the foam brush. Treat it just like the regular brush, wet it in di water, shake out the excess. I have used one to coat 4x5 and it really does not take up to much senitizer. It does require a very light touch, or you will end up with the paper surface coming apart, but that only happened to me when I kept at it to long. (I know you guys have told me that the foam brush isn't that good..but for the small size it works pretty good)

Donald Qualls · May 12, 2005

When I've coated cyanotype for 9x12 cm, I've either coated a 5x7 and cut it down after printing (gives a very neat, "finished" apperance because the overcoated edge gets trimmed off) or cut the paper to size and coated that. Either way, I use a foam brush and about 1 ml of each cyano solution for 5x7; that amount will nicely coat two 9x12 cm sheets. Personally, I like the "rough edge" look of the overcoat showing outside the image, so in future I will most likely coat 5x7 for 9x12 cm negatives and just leave the paper that size. I do, however, wish I could find a reinforced watercolor paper with less "tooth" than the cheap stuff I've been using; it's a little coarse for negatives smaller than 4x5.

Phillip P. Dimor · May 12, 2005

I used to use a brush and i've tried several. The best for me was a glass coating rod. I used a plain old glass stirring rod with the tips scored and cracked off.
The trouble is keeping it clean and free of grit, as well as the coating solution.

I wipe the rod after every sheet and I filter the coating solution with a ball of cotton through the tip of a syringe needle (watch trainspotting.. :\ )

The 3cc syringe with 1" or longer, 20g or larger bore is a godsend for this.. I use separate syringes (blunted tips) for the A and B solutions of cyanotype, PMK, rodinal, etc. Very handy! Sorry to get OT a bit..

Kerik · May 12, 2005

Phillip P. Dimor said:
I used to use a brush and i've tried several.

If you haven't tried a Richeson Series 9010 (aka Magic Brush) you haven't tried the best...

Kerik
www.kerik.com

Jeremy · May 13, 2005

3 drops of pd and 3 of sensitizer and I was golden, gotta love that magic brush

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Coating for small prints

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