Drying FB papers

[wiseowl]

Are there any viable alternatives for drying FB papers other than the usual hot bed with a canvas cover type.? Or how can I prevent prints from curling up if left out to dry normally?

Cheers

Martin

 

[clogz]

Well, a method I have heard about but never tried myself: hang two squeegeed back to back on the washing line.
Another method is to use a drying screen.

Good luck

Hans

 

[blansky]

Martin,

Most people dry fiber based prints on window screens.( made for home windows, nylon mesh). You can buy the screens from Calumet or from a home store.

I dry face up some people dry face down but personally I think you can mark the print if it is face down.

What we do is squegee the print, lay it face up and wait about a day for it to dry. It will still have a lot of curl to it. After it's dry, some people put matte board over the prints and place books or a heavy weight on the prints for a day or two.

Some of us dry mount the prints so a little curl isn't a factor.

Some people place the dry prints in the dry mount press to flatten them. Some use the heat, some don't.

Bottom line: All fiber prints curl, some worse than others. Most people are happy to deal with the problem because they like fiber better than RC.

Different people will tell you their favorite ways to deal with it. Pick a way that works for you depending on your equipment. (drymount press or not).

On this and other forums there are many different ways described, so pick one and try it.


Hope this helps


Michael McBlane

 

[Francesco]

I use Amoloco anti-curl liquid (contains glycerine I believe) diluted 1:10, 3 mins, after the archicval wash. Prints dry flat each time.

 

[Donald Miller]

Martin,

Most people dry fiber based prints on window screens.( made for home windows, nylon mesh). You can buy the screens from Calumet or from a home store.

I dry face up some people dry face down but personally I think you can mark the print if it is face down.

What we do is squegee the print, lay it face up and wait about a day for it to dry. It will still have a lot of curl to it. After it's dry, some people put matte board over the prints and place books or a heavy weight on the prints for a day or two.

Some of us dry mount the prints so a little curl isn't a factor.

Some people place the dry prints in the dry mount press to flatten them. Some use the heat, some don't.

Bottom line: All fiber prints curl, some worse than others. Most people are happy to deal with the problem because they like fiber better than RC.

Different people will tell you their favorite ways to deal with it. Pick a way that works for you depending on your equipment. (drymount press or not).

On this and other forums there are many different ways described, so pick one and try it.


Hope this helps


Michael McBlane

What did he say?

 

[ann]

he gave a series of options.

take your pick.

i would have done the same.

My favority method is drying screens ; face up, under dry mount press until if get ready to mount.

 

[blansky]

Donald I said:

Martin,

La maggior parte popolano le stampe basate fibra asciutta sulla finestra screens.(fatta per le finestre domestiche, la maglia di nylon). Potete comprare gli schermi da Calumet o da un deposito domestico.

Rivolti verso l'alto asciutti I alcuni popolano la faccia asciutta giù ma personalmente penso che possiate contrassegnare la stampa se è faccia si scola.

Che cosa sono squegee la stampa, pongono esso rivolta verso l'alto e l'attesa circa un giorno affinchè si asciughino. Tranquillo avrà a.lot dell'arricciatura ad esso. Dopo che sia asciutta, qualche gente mette la cartolina opaca sopra le stampe ed i libri del posto o un peso pesante sulle stampe per un giorno o due.

Alcuni di noi supporto asciutto le stampe in modo da una piccola arricciatura non sono un fattore.

Qualche gente dispone le stampe asciutte nella pressa asciutta del supporto per appiattirla. Alcuni usano il calore, alcuni non.

Linea inferiore: Tutte le stampe della fibra si arricciano, alcuni più difettosi di altri. La maggior parte della gente è felice di occuparsi del problema perché gradiscono la fibra migliore di RC.

La gente differente vi dirà i loro sensi favoriti occuparsi di esso. Selezioni un senso che funziona per voi secondo la vostra apparecchiatura (pressa del drymount o non).

Su questo e su altre tribune ci sono molti sensi differenti descritti, in modo da selezioni uno e provilo.


Speri che questo aiuti

Can't you read?


Michael

 

[Ka]

After I squegee the print, I lay it face-up upon a sheet of bi-folded blotter paper.

Then I take a hand (hair) dryer, and blow-dry the image surface just so it is no longer tacky.

Then I close the blotter paper over the image.

Repeating for each print.

Finally, I place a weight on the "blotter-paper-print" pile.

Ca. one week later, I pre-heat the print in a dry-mount press, as well as the museum board onto which it will be mounted.

Lastly: I always dry-mount.

 

[Donald Miller]

Donald I said:

Martin,

La maggior parte popolano le stampe basate fibra asciutta sulla finestra screens.(fatta per le finestre domestiche, la maglia di nylon). Potete comprare gli schermi da Calumet o da un deposito domestico.

Rivolti verso l'alto asciutti I alcuni popolano la faccia asciutta giù ma personalmente penso che possiate contrassegnare la stampa se è faccia si scola.

Che cosa sono squegee la stampa, pongono esso rivolta verso l'alto e l'attesa circa un giorno affinchè si asciughino. Tranquillo avrà a.lot dell'arricciatura ad esso. Dopo che sia asciutta, qualche gente mette la cartolina opaca sopra le stampe ed i libri del posto o un peso pesante sulle stampe per un giorno o due.

Alcuni di noi supporto asciutto le stampe in modo da una piccola arricciatura non sono un fattore.

Qualche gente dispone le stampe asciutte nella pressa asciutta del supporto per appiattirla. Alcuni usano il calore, alcuni non.

Linea inferiore: Tutte le stampe della fibra si arricciano, alcuni più difettosi di altri. La maggior parte della gente è felice di occuparsi del problema perché gradiscono la fibra migliore di RC.

La gente differente vi dirà i loro sensi favoriti occuparsi di esso. Selezioni un senso che funziona per voi secondo la vostra apparecchiatura (pressa del drymount o non).

Su questo e su altre tribune ci sono molti sensi differenti descritti, in modo da selezioni uno e provilo.


Speri che questo aiuti

Can't you read?


Michael

Hmmm...
Now I understand. Somehow it wasn't clear before...

 

[wiseowl]

Thanks to all for the advice.

I'll investigate manufacturing a window screen to try, I live in the UK and this is not something that's readily available. (At least I've never seen them.)

As for flattening the print after it's dried, isn't there a risk of cracking the emulsion? Or would heat from a dry mounting press elliminate this?

Cheers

Martin

 

[ann]

I have never had a problem with the emulsion cracking. After being under a weight you might just store them in a portfolio box until you get ready to mount them or what ever you want to do with them .

 

[Aggie]

The easiest way to flattne a print after it is dried, barring a dry mount press is to iron the thing. just use two pieces of heavy paper top and bottom to protect it, and iron away at a lower setting. It willnot harm the emulsion in the least.

 

[Alex Hawley]

I can vouch for the iron method. Not only does it work but its fun to say "Honey, I'm ironing my pictures!"

 

[blansky]

Here are the links for the screens from Calumet. One is the screens and the other is the stand, if you don't want to build your own.

I believe there a number of Calumet store in the UK


http://www.calumetphoto.com/syrinx/...=ZN7000&ac.cat.CatTree.detail=y&type=PRDINDEX


http://www.calumetphoto.com/syrinx/...=AA0750&ac.cat.CatTree.detail=y&type=PRDINDEX


Michael McBlane

 

[clogz]

For drying screens there's also : www.richards.uk.com

 

[Alex Hawley]

I found a satisfactory screen kit at the local hardware store. This kit is intended to make replacement storm window screens with an aluminum. You can cut the frame rails any size you want, but being somewhat lazy, I left mine uncut and got two 36"x36" drying screens. Some assembly required.

 

[Ka]

Donald! Michael! Donald! Michael!

Do you two ever sit in the same room? You could sell tickets.

Thanks for the entertainment.

ka

 

[Doug Bennett]

My latest method is to use plastic clothes hangers, but specifically the ones with the two plastic clips. Simply clip to two corners of the prints (I usually clip on the smaller dimension), then clip two clothes pins to the two lower corners for weight.

This gets the prints reasonably flat, enough for inspection and/or storage. After that, I dry mount.

In my experience, fiber prints need to dry for 2-3 days, at least the Ilford papers that I use. I expose and develop so that the brightest highlights are without detail. After a day, I think I've screwed up, but somewhere in the second day, those highlights begin to pop out. Getting control of this has made a huge difference in my printing. Try it; it takes patience, but is well worth it.

 

[FrankB]

I must admit I was about to post something on a similar line to this.

I did my first batch of 16x12 selenium-toned prints a couple of weeks ago on MGIV FB glossy. I dried them back-to-back on a line (just like that nice Dr Rudman suggested!) and, fair enough they didn't "curl" (all sides in towards the middle), but they warped (twisting of a plane) like the flamin' Starship Enterprise.

I've had them sandwiched between two sheets of mount board with my most of my library sitting on top of them for the last fortnight, and they are a bit better, but an hour after taking them out they're curling like Scottish Olympic hopefuls!

I may try ironing them like Aggie suggests. Failing that, has anyone else tried this "Amoloco anti-curl liquid"? Any idea on its affect of the archival properties of the print?

 

[Francesco]

Works very well Frank. I use it all the time. After toning prints go to the anticurl and then onto the screens. I am assuming that it does not affect the archival properties of the print, especially when selenium toned.

 

[FrankB]

No offence, Francesco (seriously)...

...but what is it they say about assumptions? Has anyone else got experience of this additive?

 

[Francesco]

Assume nothing, trust no one.

 

[Juraj Kovacik]

I dry fiber prints face up on the glass or ceramic table, sticked with paper tape. It takes some time, but i like result paper quality.

 

[Aggie]

all this worry, when Ironing takes moments, and is free (except for a bit of electricity). Plus it is archival. Good training for when you end up married to a photography diva. You can iron your own shirts.

 

[Alex Hawley]

I keep following Aggie whenever she brings up ironing. Sorry Aggie. But it should be explained that ironing relieves the tight curl relaxing the paper back pretty near its original state. After ironing, place the prints under the stack of books. I use three books of medium thickness, which isn't too many. After only a day or two, the prints are nicely flattened.

Using this method, I have come to like single weight paper better than double weight. There are other reasons too, like handling the wet paper in the darkroom. But just on the merit of flattening, single weight is easier to work with than double weight. I know this is contrary to the current mainstream thought.