Exploring Alternatives to Baryta Paper for Collodio-Chloride Printing

I’m planning to try Collodio-Chloride printing and, from my research, I’ve learned that Baryta-coated papers are recommended because uncoated papers can’t hold the solvents in the collodion emulsion, causing it to seep right through the paper fibers.

However, here in Japan, the selection of Baryta inkjet papers is very limited, and the ones available are outrageously expensive!
So, I’m wondering if it might be possible to use "photo-quality" inkjet paper as a more affordable alternative to Baryta-coated papers.
Of course, I don’t expect these inkjet papers to deliver the same brilliant white finish as Baryta-coated ones. But especially in the beginning, when I’m likely to make plenty of mistakes, I’d like to experiment with something less costly.

If you have any suggestions for alternative paper options, I’d really appreciate your advice.

Thank you in advance.

You can size the paper with 3% gelatin with hardener prior to coating with emulsion.

D_Quinn said:

However, here in Japan, the selection of Baryta inkjet papers is very limited, and the ones available are outrageously expensive!

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Inkjet papers ('baryta' or otherwise) might work, but they will all have a microporous surface finish that's designed to soak up the ink rapidly. This will affect how the paper is being coated and how it absorbs the stuff you put on it. A baryta inkjet paper will be incomparable to a baryta 'analog' paper for this reasons. The fact that they're both called 'baryta' might be technically correct (as long as the inkjet paper does indeed have a layer containing barium sulfate), but from a technical and functional viewpoint, they're entirely different animals. The same applies to regular photo inkjet papers.

Rick A said:

You can size the paper with 3% gelatin with hardener prior to coating with emulsion.

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This may or may not work well; in my experience you end up with trillions of tiny bubbles in the sizing layer when you do this. Whether or not this is a problem further on in the process, I can't say. It may not be a concern for this particular application. It's worth a try. The gelatin concentration btw should be seen in the light of the thickness of the sizing layer as well. 3% as such doesn't say much. I usually think in terms of "x grams of dry gelatin per square meter".

If the bubbles turn out to be a problem, you could start with a reasonably white paper (just plain paper, or a 'fine art' paper) and apply a fairly heavy gelatin sizing. This will create a surface that's comparable to an actual photo paper.

Thank you so much for all your suggestions!

Gelatin sizing is something I had never considered, but it sounds promising.

I also found ADOX Art Baryta available in Japan, and since it’s reasonably priced, I’ll give it a try to see if I like it.

Many thanks again!

I have done extensive work with collodion chloride and the gelatin version. I tried some canson baryta paper..dont waste your time
I now use old paper that i fix out if i want the baryta layer. There are 2 Japanese papers that will work. Torinoko and shiramine both work .
Fabriano artistico; rives bfk; arnheim 1618 and pescia will all work. You need good wet strength and the above papers will hold up. I also use a coating bar..with collodion it will spread easily on its own.
I just prefer gelatin pop to the collodion version
Why.. its cheaper and you can easily flatten it
You can reach to via the PM if you need more info. Some of my work can be seen on Instagram
@peterallenschragerphotography
Most of all have fun!!

Peter Schrager said:

I now use old paper that i fix out if i want the baryta layer. There are 2 Japanese papers that will work. Torinoko and shiramine both work .
Fabriano artistico; rives bfk; arnheim 1618 and pescia will all work. You need good wet strength and the above papers will hold up.

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Thank you for the helpful information!

The six types of paper you mentioned (Torinoko, Shiramine, Fabriano Artistico, Rives BFK, Arnheim 1618, and Pescia) are not baryta-coated papers, correct? Is it possible that collodion won't seep through to the backside even if the paper is used without additional sizing?
Since I’m in Japan, I might have easy access to papers like Torinoko and Shiramine.

Peter Schrager said:

I also use a coating bar..with collodion it will spread easily on its own.

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What exactly is a coating bar?
When applying silver nitrate solution to paper for salt prints, I use a rod for coating. Are you referring to using a similar rod for applying collodion to paper?

Thank you!!

Fabriano Artistico, Rives BFK and Pescia are uncoated, rag fine arts papers. They are internally sized (as virtually all papers), but to a greater or lesser extent absorbent. I expect collodion will 'fall through' them. You'd have to apply additional sizing. I've not used Arnheim or both the Japanese papers.

D_Quinn said:

What exactly is a coating bar?

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It's more commonly referred to as a 'coating rod' or a 'puddle pusher', although the two terms are not necessarily interchangeable. There are a few possibilities:
* The so-called mayer rod, which is either a threaded bar or a wire-wound rod. For coating gelatin, it's heated and pushed against a puddle of gelatin solution on top of the paper. This deposits a layer of even thickness.
* A rod with shims on either end so it's spaced at a constant distance from the paper. Its use and net effect are the same as the mayer rod described above.
* A glass rod with one or two handles. This is only used for coating water-based sensitizer solutions (Pt/Pd etc.) and is not very suitable for gelatin coating. Maybe this is what you use for salted paper, but with gelatin it'll become a big lumpy mess.
For sizing papers for this particular application, a rod can be used, but it's not necessary. Papers can also be sized with a brush (esp. when several layers of sizing are brushed on top of each other), or by briefly soaking the paper, squeegeeing it to a flat surface and then pouring a warm gelatin solution on top of it, which you then spread out with your fingers or a comb - very much like making carbon transfer tissue. I always do it that way when I need a heavy gelatin sizing.

@koraks Thank you for the informative details.
Actually I copied the design of your rod on YouTube and made my own rod for salt printing!

Oh, nice! Well, that one works very well for salted paper etc. - but not for gelatin sizing. I think @Peter Schrager probably uses a metal rod of some kind; I'm sure he'll chime in.