platine

[wm blunt]

Just recieved 10 sheets of platine and took a look at each one with a strong light. I was considering doing more 4x5 work and this batch of paper will work fine. No way I could find a 4x10 or 8x10 spot to print without a bunch of black spots and crap in the paper. How do you guys with big negs use this paper? I don't have a banquet camera, I guess my 4x10 is the Jenny Craig model.

William Blunt

 

[Jorge]

I thank God and Clay I was made aware of this problem with platine. As you have seen their QC is very erratic. Perhaps a light bath in oxalic acid 1% might remove the black spots and crap enough to allow you to use it for the 4x10 but I am not sure. From what I understand if you get the paper like that you are SOL.

I would suggest either do the oxalic acid bath, or just a plain water bath and see if some of the spots clear away. Good luck...

 

[clay]

William:

If you can buy it in a store, just go through the pile holding each up in front of a brigh light until you find sheets that don't have the crud in them. If that is not an option, call the dealer and have them send a few sheets from a batch that they will be able to find again. If they look good, buy the whole package.

Alternatively, pay a premium and buy COT320 from Bergger or B&S. It is basically the same paper, but I think that Bergger must have more stringent quality requirements, because I have found that I have much less problem with the black spots. In all other respects, it is the same paper and I treat it exactly the same.

As far as what I do with the speckly sheets - It is a bit of a crap shoot. Sometimes, a few small specks won't cause problems. If I can orient the negative so a potential problem speck is in a deep shadowed area, I'll go ahead and give it a shot. If it is riddled with junk, it makes dandy backing for vellum prints or covers for prints in mats.....

Or switch to Whatman's. And yes Jorge, I still owe you some. I'll try to get my lazy texas butt in gear and get it out this week.

 

[rogein]

Or switch to Whatman's. And yes Jorge, I still owe you some. I'll try to get my lazy texas butt in gear and get it out this week.

Clay,

Does Whatman's have a similar surface to Platine after it's gone through processing? I've tried Somerset but find the surface quite 'rough' after it's gone through the various baths. Can you recommend a good place to buy Whatman's? Thanks!

Cheers,
Roger...

 

[clay]

Whatman's is not as rough as Somerset, which gets very 'pebbly' after all the wet steps. I have been printing Whatman's on the "B" side, otherwise known as the back or screen side, and it is quite satisfactory for prints larger than 5x7. It is no longer available in the US, but I have ordered a stash from Ken Bromley Art supply in the UK, and even with air shipping to the US, the cost is still around 5.50 USD per sheet, which is comparable to Platine and less than COT320. The last time I bought 100 sheets to make the whole economics of shippping make sense.

 

[wm blunt]

Well here we go again. Just got some cot 320 and a little less junk so I thought I'd go back to uno. Fabriano Uno is being discontinued!
Clearprint vellum here we come.