Hi everyone,
I thought I'd share something that happened recently.
I've been exploring carbon printing along with making my own tissue, using both Yupo and Denril for the tissue support. I made two prints with diginegs from the Yupo batch, and although they needed exposure and contrast adjustments, came out pretty well for a first test.
After making my adjustments, I printed another neg. Much was improved in this print, showing I was moving in the right direction, however there were equdistant vertical bands in the light sky area and other light portions of the print.
I checked my neg and could not find any banding, although I know that carbon can pick up on things that are very hard to see with the naked eye. I used a mag glass, loupe, etc...nothing on the neg. I checked the mylar used btw the neg and the tissue; once again, nothing. I checked the original file; nothing.
I printed a new neg, it looked good, and thought I'd be willing to sacrafice it to start narrowing down the variables. I sensitized some tissue, let it dry, put the neg on without the mylar and exposed it.
Of course, the neg stuck to the tissue. When I pulled it off with some force, there was the culprit. A pattern of equidistant vertical (and horizontal) lines, a grid-like pattern. It was the NuArc's rubber mat pattern.
It had no effect on the Yupo tissue, since Yupo is denser, but the Denril is very translucent, enough so that the pattern or part of it is either transferred during the time in the vacuum or is reflected back into the tissue during exposure or a bit of both.
I'll most likely be using Yupo for support in the future, but the problem could be alleviated by putting a black mat board down on the bed before exposing, much like we do when making traditionally enlarged negs on an easel.
I am so happy to have figured this out...and wanted to share this to have it in the archives for future printers.
I thought I'd share something that happened recently.
I've been exploring carbon printing along with making my own tissue, using both Yupo and Denril for the tissue support. I made two prints with diginegs from the Yupo batch, and although they needed exposure and contrast adjustments, came out pretty well for a first test.
After making my adjustments, I printed another neg. Much was improved in this print, showing I was moving in the right direction, however there were equdistant vertical bands in the light sky area and other light portions of the print.
I checked my neg and could not find any banding, although I know that carbon can pick up on things that are very hard to see with the naked eye. I used a mag glass, loupe, etc...nothing on the neg. I checked the mylar used btw the neg and the tissue; once again, nothing. I checked the original file; nothing.
I printed a new neg, it looked good, and thought I'd be willing to sacrafice it to start narrowing down the variables. I sensitized some tissue, let it dry, put the neg on without the mylar and exposed it.
Of course, the neg stuck to the tissue. When I pulled it off with some force, there was the culprit. A pattern of equidistant vertical (and horizontal) lines, a grid-like pattern. It was the NuArc's rubber mat pattern.
It had no effect on the Yupo tissue, since Yupo is denser, but the Denril is very translucent, enough so that the pattern or part of it is either transferred during the time in the vacuum or is reflected back into the tissue during exposure or a bit of both.
I'll most likely be using Yupo for support in the future, but the problem could be alleviated by putting a black mat board down on the bed before exposing, much like we do when making traditionally enlarged negs on an easel.
I am so happy to have figured this out...and wanted to share this to have it in the archives for future printers.
