"New" Paper for Platinum/Palladium

[Mateo]

Thanks for the info Kerik. That print you posted was baffling me forever, then I got it I think...that's a wet plate negative printed in Pt? Gorgeous!

 

[xtype]

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.

yes - the surface would be my criticism of Buxton/Talbot as it is quite textured - the cost is down to the shipping from France.

 

[Russ Young]

Thanks, Kerik & Clay. Always good to hear a detailed evaluation by two true masters of the field. I WILL do cyanotypes!

Russ

 

[Monophoto]

Just curious - what is the watermark situation with this paper?

Several months ago, my wife and I visited the Cranes Museum in Dalton, MA. After watching the videos, they gave us a couple of sample pads of writing paper - as far as I can tell, the same stuff known in the Pt/Pd world as 32# "kid finish pearl". I've been using it to do 4x5 contact prints, but it has a watermark that seems to always get in the way of the image.

 

[Kerik]

I don't know if it's watermarked, but I don't think so. The samples I was given for testing were 11x14 and had no watermarks. I've not yet received the parent sheets.

 

[eggshell]

Thank Kerik. Now I have another paper to try. Appreciate it!

 

[wilsonneal]

First impressions on this Weston Diploma Paper

I received my sample of the paper discussed in this thread. It is a little 'warm', but I think I like it. It coats very easily, and I am reducing, little by little, my drop count with no adverse effect. I am down to 17/17, and still seem to push the puddle around for a little bit. I think I can safely go to 16, which is lower than I've used to date. No black specks in five tests. No irregular areas.

It's thinner than Rising Stonehenge, the paper I had been using. It's smoother, too. The only drawbacks I can see so far are inserting into my print washer was tricky due to the lighter weight and the warm cast. I think I like the warmth, but not sure yet.

Neal

 

[jmarcy]

New Paper

This paper is indeed very good. I am the printer who worked with John Zokowski in the search for a good new paper for platinum/palladium printing. John spent time with me in my darkroom, watching me print and being very attentive when I talked about the characteristics of papers that work well for PT/PD. To my knowledge this Cranes paper, although it has been made for many years, was unknown to alternative process printers.
Since late June of this year I have made about 600 prints on this paper. The print quality is very good and I have encountered no problems that I indentify as paper issues. I have printed on sheets up to 22X26 and though this is a thin paper it has sufficient wet strength, if you are careful. I dry prints of this size on screens and blotters rather than try to hang them up to dry.

 

[jmarcy]

I don't know if it's watermarked, but I don't think so. The samples I was given for testing were 11x14 and had no watermarks. I've not yet received the parent sheets.

Kerik- There is no watermark on the full sheets

 

[jmarcy]

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.

You are right, John is a good guy and he is very interested and excited about how this paper is being used now. John visited me in my studio today and he spoke about how happy he is about the good response from PT/PD printers to this paper.

 

[RobertP]

Kerik, Is there a brighter version in the works? Or is it on the market yet?

 

[payral]

Just a question: what is the best clearing way for that paper ?
HCA as Arches Platine or COAT-320 or citric acid as Crane Cover

 

[jmarcy]

Just a question: what is the best clearing way for that paper ?
HCA as Arches Platine or COAT-320 or citric acid as Crane Cover

This paper clears very easily in a sodium sulfite bath

 

[jmarcy]

Whiter Cranes paper

A rep from Byron Weston visited me in my studio and I gave him a sheet of Arches Platine as an example of the white version of Diploma Parchment I would like to see. This forum is a good place for all of you to express your ideas about this. The two questions are what shade of white and what weight paper would printers want.

 

[payral]

Thanks jmarcy.
As a regular user of Arches Platine (As French is a paper quite easy to find) I like very much that kind of white.
About the weight, I am not looking for too much heavy paper. Arches is for me the max.

 

[sanking]

I received some 22X34" sheets of the new Weston paper yesterday and made a few palladium prints today. It appears to be an excellent paper and lives up to previous billing. The paper gives excellent reflective density, the coating paper is fairly smooth and does not need a lot of sensitizer (about 2ml of coating for a 7X17" print was more than enough), it clears well (in fact, came out of the potassium oxalate almost completely clear), and has very good detail. I completed clearing in 5% citric acid and absolutely all of the stain was gone after about 2-3 minutes in the first bath.

The RH in my printing room was about 55%.


Sandy King

 

[cperez]

How would you compare the coating on the Weston paper against Crane's 90# Cover? Or, for that matter, compared against COT320?

I received some 22X34" sheets of the new Weston paper yesterday and made a few palladium prints today. It appears to be an excellent paper and lives up to previous billing. The paper gives excellent reflective density, the coating paper is fairly smooth and does not need a lot of sensitizer ...

 

[sanking]

How would you compare the coating on the Weston paper against Crane's 90# Cover? Or, for that matter, compared against COT320?

Coating seems smoother on the new Weston than on Crane's 90# cover, not quite as smooth as on COT 320. In coating the paper it took just a tad more sensitizer to coat the Weston paper than to coat COT 320.

COT 320 is the gold standard for Pt./Pd. printing as far as I am concerned, but it costs four times as much as the Weston.

Sandy

 

[cperez]

This is exactly inverse to what I was expecting to hear.

I LOVE the way Crane's 90# coats with a rod. I wish they would cure once and for all their Black Plague problem. COT320 seems to require a special touch and a little more sensitzer when using a rod. Well, at least in my novice case it seems.

Everyone's comments have been interesting and helpful to read. Thanks!

Coating seems smoother on the new Weston than on Crane's 90# cover, not quite as smooth as on COT 320. In coating the paper it took just a tad more sensitizer to coat the Weston paper than to coat COT 320.

COT 320 is the gold standard for Pt./Pd. printing as far as I am concerned, but it costs four times as much as the Weston.

 

[Ray Bidegain]

I too have now received and printed some sample sheets of this paper and I think it is wonderful. I have always liked the warmer color of the cranes papers so this new one is perfect in that way. I also found the surface to be a bit smoother than the kid finish cranes and that suits my work. It is lighter weight than the Arches or the COT 320 (which in my mind are the same paper) and for me that means less carry out of the developer during processing and I like that.

John, as for color I am happy with the warm version so I do not have anything to add to that discussion, but I do want to thank you for your time on the phone the other day.

I am anxiously awaiting my shipment of paper due to arrive tomorrow.

Life dances on,

Ray Bidegain

 

[sanking]

This is exactly inverse to what I was expecting to hear.

I LOVE the way Crane's 90# coats with a rod. I wish they would cure once and for all their Black Plague problem. COT320 seems to require a special touch and a little more sensitzer when using a rod. Well, at least in my novice case it seems.

Everyone's comments have been interesting and helpful to read. Thanks!

Dump the rods and get a Richeson 9010 magic brush!

Sandy King

 

[ann]

i received some samples from john but have't had time to test them out.

i do have a question , is there a right side to coat?

 

[bill schwab]

Dump the rods ...

Beat me to it Sandy!

Just got my order today and plan to do my tests tomorrow. I like the look of it. Warm, but not too warm. I do notice looking with a loupe that there definitely is a "good" side as well Ann. Look closely and you will see a screen like pattern on the "bad" side.

B.

 

[jimcollum]

Dump the rods and get a Richeson 9010 magic brush!

Sandy King

no kidding.. i used a rod, and then picked up a Richeson... I won't be going back to rod coating now.. I may end up buying a couple spares.

 

[cperez]

Well. I guess that settles it. The rods have got to go.

Actually, I really like the coating I got with a rod on Crane's 90# Cover. Oh well. It looks like the Black Plague won't be cured any time soon.

Onward.