"New" Paper for Platinum/Palladium

[Kerik]

I have some good paper news, especially for current and former users of Cranes Platinotype (aka Cranes Crest Natural White Wove, Cranes Business Card Stock, Artificial Parchment, etc.)

With the recent problems with the “Platinotype Black Plague”, many are looking for other options. There is a “new” 50-year-old paper that found me recently. I got a call a few weeks ago from John Zokowski from Butler-Dearden Paper Co., a Crane’s distributor offering samples of Byron-Weston’s Diploma Parchment paper for me to test with pt/pd printing. (Byron-Weston is a subsidiary of Cranes.) This paper has been made for 50+ years and is used for diplomas and other formal documents. This paper is manufactured a bit on the acidic side, which is a good thing for pt/pd and other iron processes. No pretreatment is necessary.

To make a long story short, this is the paper Platinotype should have been but never was (at least not for a long time…) It produces a rich black and a nice warm tone with pure palladium. It’s a bit on the thin side at 177 gsm, so for large prints, in needs to be handled with care. It’s also a bit on the yellow side for my taste, but a whiter version and thicker version are in the works. It seems to clear very easily and also seems to be relatively black-spot-free. Finally, where it really shines over Platinotype is that the surface remains nice and smooth after processing. It doesn’t take on the fuzzy surface of processed Platinotype. And, to top it off, it is very reasonably priced.

Go here http://www.crane.com/business/westonpapers/platinumpalladium.aspx for info. Contact John Zokowski for pricing and to place an order. Attached is a scan of a print on Weston’s Diploma Parchment. Happy printing!
.

 

[scootermm]

great news and thanks for the update and contact information Kerik.
nice of you to provide the feedback.

 

[bill schwab]

Thanks Kerik, I'll give it a try.

Bill

 

[photomc]

Good news indeed, Thanks for the testing and the update Kerik!!

 

[Aggie]

actually it is a very versitle paper. Not only platinum but Van Dykes, and cyanotypes are marvelous on this paper. Interesting tidbit, it was orginally developed to be a digital printer paper.

 

[Kerik]

Interesting tidbit, it was orginally developed to be a digital printer paper.

I don't think that's true. According to John, this paper has been manufactured the same way for over 50 years.

One thing that I think helps with contamination and black spot issues is that the machinery used to make this paper is all stainless steel to meet a government spec, I believe. It should work well for all the iron processes.

 

[Jim Noel]

Thanks Kerik. I will order some right away. Hopefully B&S will begin carrying it soon.
Jim

 

[tom_micklin]

It should work well for all the iron processes.

Great, maybe I'll give it a shot for my Kallitypes.
Thanks for the tip Kerik.
Tom

 

[scootermm]

Ive corresponded quite a bit today with John Zokowski after seeing Keriks post.
he is quite helpful, quick to respond, and knowledgeable about papers. Hopefully I will be getting some of this soon to try out.

 

[wilsonneal]

I ordered a sample of the paper. I am looking forward to pulling a print with it. The price is certainly right...It will work out to about 75 cents a sheet for my uses.
Neal

 

[Allen Friday]

Thank you for the post. As my stock of paper dwindles, I will certainly try it. How big of a print have you done with it? I find platinotype barely workable with 16x20 or 20x24 prints. Does the new old paper stand up at that size?

Allen

 

[Tony Egan]

Timely post thanks Kerik. I just completed a Ziatype workshop last weekend and move on to a platinum DOP workshop this coming weekend so this may be the first paper I buy!

 

[clay]

By coincidence, Kerik and I were trying out this paper at the same time. I concur with his comments 100%. It is a very forgiving and easy-to-use paper that has a super rich black. And it is inexpensive to boot. Nothing wrong with that!

Timely post thanks Kerik. I just completed a Ziatype workshop last weekend and move on to a platinum DOP workshop this coming weekend so this may be the first paper I buy!

 

[sanking]

By coincidence, Kerik and I were trying out this paper at the same time. I concur with his comments 100%. It is a very forgiving and easy-to-use paper that has a super rich black. And it is inexpensive to boot. Nothing wrong with that!

OK, you and Kerik have me convinced. I just ordered some of the paper. At about a buck a pop for 22X34" not much to lose. The name of the paper, Weston, is also promising.



Sandy

 

[bill schwab]

I also just spoke with John and made an order. He spoke of a well known printer that was working on this with him? One of you guys? Claims until recently it had never been tried for this process. Looking forward to giving it a try.

B.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Your scanned print has a really nice sense of luminosity, Kerik. I might try some for albumen. Being on the thin side is a good thing for coating by the float method.

 

[donbga]

I have some good paper news, especially for current and former users of Cranes Platinotype (aka Cranes Crest Natural White Wove, Cranes Business Card Stock, Artificial Parchment, etc.)

With the recent problems with the “Platinotype Black Plague”, many are looking for other options. There is a “new” 50-year-old paper that found me recently. I got a call a few weeks ago from John Zokowski from Butler-Dearden Paper Co., a Crane’s distributor offering samples of Byron-Weston’s Diploma Parchment paper for me to test with pt/pd printing. (Byron-Weston is a subsidiary of Cranes.) This paper has been made for 50+ years and is used for diplomas and other formal documents. This paper is manufactured a bit on the acidic side, which is a good thing for pt/pd and other iron processes. No pretreatment is necessary.

To make a long story short, this is the paper Platinotype should have been but never was (at least not for a long time…) It produces a rich black and a nice warm tone with pure palladium. It’s a bit on the thin side at 177 gsm, so for large prints, in needs to be handled with care. It’s also a bit on the yellow side for my taste, but a whiter version and thicker version are in the works. It seems to clear very easily and also seems to be relatively black-spot-free. Finally, where it really shines over Platinotype is that the surface remains nice and smooth after processing. It doesn’t take on the fuzzy surface of processed Platinotype. And, to top it off, it is very reasonably priced.

Go here http://www.crane.com/business/westonpapers/platinumpalladium.aspx for info. Contact John Zokowski for pricing and to place an order. Attached is a scan of a print on Weston’s Diploma Parchment. Happy printing!
.

I'm not sure if this is the same paper but Linus Kudzuma sent me a sample of a Weston paper several years ago. It printed quite well but as you mentioned the base color was a little warmer than I would prefer and bit light weight.

Never the less if the two papers are the same it should print very well based on my limited experience with the small sample I received.

 

[Kerik]

So far, the largest sheet I have tried is 11x14. I have ordered parent sheets at 22x34 and will be trying larger prints when I receive it.

The paper is even a bit yellower than "natural" platinotype. I have hopes for the whiter version as it is developed in the future....

 

[xtype]

have you tried out ruscombe paper mills Buxton or Talbot paper in 240 gram weight? the imperial sheets (56 x 76 cm) won't ever be cheap, but they'll stand up to the process.

 

[Joe Lipka]

Anything with the name "Weston" is an automatic with me. Sounds like it's the paper for my next project.

 

[Kerik]

have you tried out ruscombe paper mills Buxton or Talbot paper in 240 gram weight?

Waaay too expensive for my budget, especially for printing large. And I'm not crazy about the Buxton surface. But yes, I've tried it.

 

[Allen Friday]

Kerik,

Thanks for the reply. One more question. How does the color/tone compare with cranes ercu? I have one project that I would like to do on the ecru paper, but it is much too thin to use over 8x10.

Allen

 

[rorye]

Hi Kerik,
As always, thanks for your insight!
Best,
Rory

 

[WarEaglemtn]

I have been testing the paper also and Kerik is on target with his comments. The paper dries nice and easy and flattens beautifully. It clears very quickly and that is a nice feature in platinum and Ziatype both.

One nice surprise came when I was testing the first batch. The friend who got it for me (Richard Prehn, Zxorb) thought it was a digital printing paper specifically designed for inkjet printing of scans of platinum prints. So... I bit the bullet and scanned and printed some of my pt/pd and Ziatypes using the Epson 2400 and both color as well as monochrome inksets. Very nice results. A number who viewed these side by side with the pt/pd originals had a hard time telling them apart. It appears the paper will serve a dual purpose. The pt/pd originals can be matched well with digital prints. Nice and clean and sure cuts down on having to stock so many papers when you are printing with both methods.

The surface is clean and smooth and does show detail well. I was worried about it being lighter in weight than I am used to but have had no tearing or deforming during wet handling. I left a few prints in the rinse overnight and still had no troubles, though it isn't recommended.

All in all a really nice paper and one I will work with.

John is also a good guy and listens to feedback and does respond by following up on it. It is nice to deal with a guy who does what he says and becomes a partner in the process rather than just a supplier.

 

[Kerik]

Allen,

I don't have any ecru on hand to compare, but from memory I think you'll find this in the ballpark.

Also, Dan is right. John is a good guy who's been in the paper business a loooooong time and is excited that there's a niche for this paper that he didn't know existed.

Anybody want to test it with cyanotype? If so, call John and he'd be happy to send samples.