paper vs OHP film for negative for alt process

[removed account4]

my title really doesn't say it all but here goes

i don't have a printer to make digital negatives or a lot of $$ to go to a service bureau ( do they still call it that ? )
to have a film negative made. i typically don't use lith film and benzo/anti fogging agents and/or liam lawless'
reversed negative processes as written about on unblinkingeye. what i typically do is make a reversal in photoshop
and go to my xerox shop and have them make me a print. i take that thin xerox paper print and wax it and make it
a bit more translucent. it isn't see through by any means but it is a lot better than it was. it takes HOURS on end in the sun
to make a cyanotype print. direct sunlight, no shadey sun, no open shade. i usually put the negative on cyanotype paper
and follow the sun around the studio outside until the afternoon when it can stay in teh same place for a few hours... and repeat this
the next day. in the winter months it takes less time because i am in the northeast usa where it snows and i get a lot of reflected UV from snow.
anyways i have never had mylar or plastic negatives made at the xerox shop. i've had them make me groundglass grids before but never negatives.
has anyone experience with this sort of negative for sun printing ? i know people use OHP film and their printer would xerox on this same film
be the same thing? it obviously isn't as cheap as paper, but it might save me the trouble of dealing with waxing paper, which sometimes gives me trouble.

thanks

 

[ced]

Don't you know somebody nearby that has an inkjet printer that could help with printing on transparent inkjet film?
If so maybe you can supply the film and pay something for the ink and the favour of the labour.

 

[pschwart]

If you enjoy your current workflow and are satisfied with the results, ignore what follows

Even an inexpensive 6-color inkjet and OHP will yield significantly better quality in *far* less time than sun printing on bond paper. You can certainly sun print using digital negatives, but for real consistency and convenience you will want to consider a UV source powered by electricity.

 

[removed account4]

thanks for your posts ced and pschwart !
a week or so ago i started getting transparency
printed at the local copy shop ( much cheaper than a service bureau )
and have been having a lot of fun making sun prints. i'll try making cyanotypes sometime
soon, i think it will be great with that process too

john

 

[ced]

As Philip mentioned it may be worth your while to look at building an exposure unit from some tubes/bulbs or even a second hand face tanner (all UV of course) then you don't need to think much about the weather.

 

[removed account4]

hi ced

i do have a face tanner but and a contact printer that i changed the bulbs out to be UV
but to be honest it takes forever and a day for the prints to be made. i am guessing if it takes 3 hours in the sun
it will take 2x that with the tanning unit. maybe i am wrong, i haven't used it for these sorts of prints...

 

[pschwart]

A typical exposure time for 8 BL tubes is 15-20 minutes. 18" tubes can be had for a bit over $4 each. My first set lasted over 10 years.

 

[ced]

I had a box with 4 of these ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/15W-UV-Black-Spiral-CFL-Fluorescent-Light-Bulb-E27-E26-/261989126619 ) and exposure was circa 12 mins. about 15 cm. from frame.
Must admit I found that rather long and was lucky to find a 2nd hand face tanner with high intensity tube and that brought the time down to circa 2 mins. at a distance of about 40 cm. from the frame.

 

[removed account4]

i appreciate your experiences !
maybe i will make myself an exposure unit this winter

 

[ced]

Great! Good luck with the project!