By the way Jan, if you are going to tone it, you can try and skip the KFerri step all together and go straight to toner. Polyphenol should attach to the ferric of FAC as well, although the tone might be different - perhaps more brownish since it won't have the blue component of ferric ferrocyanide.
Well, on paper it shouldn't be difficult, but practice will likely be less forgiving than theory. One of the key tricks is to make a stable pigment dispersion with as little clumping of the pigment as possible so as to get sufficiently small particle size. Even then, the system may likely not work on this particular printer as it's not a pigment printer, so likely, the head will just clog pretty much instantly. On a pigment printer, the concept should work in principle. In that case I'd try to source a pigment dispersion based on Prussian Blue. Trying to DIY one for the purpose of inkjet printing is probably a waste of time; even if you manage to get a dispersion that prints initially, it'll likely not be sufficiently stable to work without having to agitate the entire printer every half hour or so.I don't know how easy it is to make an effective inkjet ink using Prussian Blue as the pigment
Haritaki toning takes over two hours for completion. If the Ferricyanide development is skipped and the print is drectly put into the toner bath, wouldn't most of Ferrous wash out of the print before any dye attaches to it? Your suggestion might work better with Ferric Oxalate sensitiser (CyanoRex).
I don't understand how the fern leaves are a lighter color than the background. If the ferns were placed on the scanner glass and then you pressed the "copy" button, I would have expected the opposite. Is it printed from a digitally inverted file ( that's fine! I'm just curious )
UV exposure step is not strictly needed in this process if Potassium Ferrocyanide is used as the developer in place of Potassium Ferricyanide. Prussian blue image is formed by the Ferric cations reacting with Ferrocyanide anions. This reaction forms the crux of Herschel's positive cyanotype process.
Printing with FAC keeps the tonal range same like the image used, I tried printing FAC on Kferri coated paper but then you get the typical response of cyanotype change in contrast, and also the Kferri does not wash off (that well)I forgot to mention that you don't need to expose either. Yeah what you say is a possibility. Not sure the the reaction will be that slow as would be in a print made of ferric ferrocyanide though.
Alternatively, one can try coating the paper with the toner or KferrO for that matter and then print with FAC for an instant toned and untoned cyanotype respectively. Just throwing out some ideas.
:Niranjan.
*please move to different forum if you think this is not appropriate for the Alternative processes... I am in doubt.
After reading Koraks "Whither Hybridia" post I have picked up on the long idea I had in investigating using a printer to print directly cyanotypes.
The basic idea was to fill a toner with for example FAC and then print on paper. After some discussion and thinking, I decided to take an old HP printer-fax. I had some old cartridges completely dried that I would fill with FAC. The first tries were not a succes, no ink on the paper. Finally I found that there was just not yet enough liquid in the cartridge.
For now I have just been using the copier part for example with some dried leaves on the glass.
this method can print direct the image with FAC on the paper. I then expose with UV, and develop with brushing on Kferri. Of course the possibilities are unlimited.
Let me share my first example, here some leaves on the glass, pressing the copy button to print in FAC expose for 10 minutes UV and develop with Kferri, then 10 minute toning with Haritaki.
the HP 901 cartridge - here filled with 10ml dest water, 2gr FAC 2ml of denatured alcohol, about 10ml water there after. (this is ongoing experiment)
Process
- use copier-printer to print FAC on paper (bypassing the digital negative)
- expose to UV
- develop with Kferri
- for this one toning with Haritaki
View attachment 401157
Just as a warning, this is experimental, so only use on printers and cartridges you can spare
The Fern picture is a picture with a camera....
Thanks! Got it. I agree, keep experimenting and see where this all leads!
I think he is using an IR filter, hence the white leaves.
:Niranjan.
By the way Jan, if you are going to tone it, you can try and skip the KFerri step all together and go straight to toner. Polyphenol should attach to the ferric of FAC as well, although the tone might be different - perhaps more brownish since it won't have the blue component of ferric ferrocyanide.
:Niranjan.
Just a short observation, since I made many test prints some left in the sun for several days with FAC only printed on them.
When then trying to develop with KFerri almost nothing or nothing will happen, but they will directly tone with the Haritaki. On the copy paper I used for cleaning the head, it tones to a dark brown, good contrast and sharpness also. Did not know but it must have fully converted the FAC in long UV exposure.
I have decided to take it up a notch and am waiting for a second hand Epson 1500W which will allow A3 prints and has a good selection of empty reset able cartridges to do experiments with several mixtures at the time. Hope it is fully working model as the seller claims.
Keep you posted when the first results are in.
hmmm...giving me an idea. I have a 1430 that I bought refurbished several years ago to do black and white printing which I never got around to. Even bought all the refillable carts etc for it.
By the way, have you considered ferrous sulfate?
:Niranjan.
Just a short observation, since I made many test prints some left in the sun for several days with FAC only printed on them.
When then trying to develop with KFerri almost nothing or nothing will happen, but they will directly tone with the Haritaki.
Ferricyanide needs ferrous to form PB. What might have happened is, all ferrous formed by exposure to sunlight was oxidised again to ferric by the air. Just a guess, chemists in the forum should be able to throw more light.
Haritaki works with any mordant (e.g. ferric) and doesn't require PB necessarily.
That should be quick to test, I have lots of scrap copy prints left. I will do some different treatments on it and report back.Yeah. Ferrous is a strong reducing agent so I would concur what you said happened, i.e. oxidize back to ferric in the ambient. One way to check is of course use K FerrO instead of (or in combination with) Kferri if the print has been laying around for a while.
:Niranjan.
Just curious. Are the printhead and ink channels of your printer non-corrodible to the action of FAC?
@nmp I just received the 1500w and it is in good working order, only some slight banding, which i hope will cure with more printing.
I think the simplest will be to swap the black cartridge for the FAC printing with a CISS and ARC cartridge for the FAC. then when finished either replace with one to clean the print head and place back the original epson black.
let me know if you have some suggestions also.
Sounds like a good plan. I don't know if 1500w is compatible with QTRip but that might be something you can look into to control the printing with only one cartridge and also vary the load if need be.
:Niranjan.
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