Premier print dryer problem - prints stick to the surface

Hi,

I bought the brand new Premier (Doran) print dryer and I have problem using it.

When I use it with the matte fiber paper it works as expected. However when I put in the glossy or even semi-matte fiber paper the emulsion sticks to the chrome plate and the print is destroyed.

My temperature is set around the middle of possible temperatures and the time is cca. 5 minutes. I use ilford variable contrast fiber paper.

Am I doing something wrong or is the idea if using the print dryer for the fiber prints just wrong? Do you have similar experiences or/and some workaround?

Thanks, Stefan

I've not used one of these dryers, so this is a guess... shouldn't the emulsion of the paper face away from the chrome plate?

I used simillar type dryer, and yes, as Suzanne said, I used it with emulsion toward cloth, not on chrome plate. And I had no problems.

using it with the emulsion towards the plate gives the very high gloss seen in older photographs. The plate needs to be extremely clean. I think you may find using ferrotype polish may help, but getting a consistant result is very frustrating.
Temperature can be critical with these beasts & some experimentation may be necessary to achieve the results you desire.

Dear Stefan,

You may be using a temperature that is too high or removing the print before it is ready. Personally, I use a low setting on my dryer and the prints pop off when they are ready. Make sure there is no residue left from anything you use to clean the plate.

Neal Wydra

Just to add to Neal's post... I haven't used that type of dryer in 30 years, but as I remember (which is always questionable), the prints have to be completely dry to come off. This is the same as the old Ferrotyping of prints. If you try to peel the not-quite-dry print off the plate, it will stick. If you leave it alone long enough, the print will pop off the plate by itself. The heated dryer is the same, but, well, heated to dry the print faster.

Back to my memory. With the emulsion facing the cloth, it is very easy to get an imprint of the cloth texture on the print surface. This never worked for me.

With the emulsion facing the metal, dry until the prints are dry. Do not try to peel them off. Lift the cloth and if the prints are dry, they will slide off the metal by themselves.

And yes, a _clean_ metal surface helps a lot, but I never used anything special on my dryer. Unfortunately, I don't remember what I did use?

Good luck with it...

Hi, I believe the instructions say you would need to use a fixer with hardener in it. (Use of a hardening fixer would also need extended washing times and make toning difficult). I had a dryer like that and prefer just hanging up the prints to dry, or on screens.

Jon

Some papers stick to the cloth - many of Bergger's finest come in that group. And POP. Most papers, however, have a hardened "overcoat" which doesn't adhere to the cloth and the prints will come off very easily.

My drier has no ferrotyping plates, they are brushed steel instead. So face down is a no-no...

It's many years since I did this but as far as I remember try this, after the final wash soak the print in a dilute solution of whetting agent, work some whetting agent into the ferrotype plate with a soft cloth, squeegee the print face down onto the plate to remove any air pockets and leave to dry. I also remember you could get proper glazing solution the name of the brand escapes me , but I have just Googled and found a company in the US that sells some www.pakor.com they sell a product called pakosol for $24.99 a gallon that should do the job.

xpista,
I have been drying my glossy dw papers for the past 25+ years with a gloss chrome plate and a print dryer. You shoud follow the instructions given by RichSBV: emulsion side down to the chrome, wait till the paper is completely dry. Rolling the wet print to the chrome is not as critical as complete final washing (you may find some "air bubble" spots in the glossed paper, but that's caused by improper wash/hypo clearing and not rolling).

Pakosol is an excellent wetting agent bath for SW glossy prints just before they go onto the ferrotype tin or or a continuous belt dryer. It helps keep the prints flatter when coming off the dryer. DW prints with a textured or smooth surface (not glossy) can be bathed in Pakosol and again will dry
flatter are placed on the dryer belt or ferrotype tin face up until dry. If the canvas imprint is found in the emulsion your canvas is streached too tight.
If the canvas absorbs any fixer that has not been washed out of the prints the canvas will shrink and cause this problem. The only reason a print will stick to the tin is the tin is not properly prepared. A finger print etc. The Ferrotype polish is used very sparingly a drop or so for each plate spread over the entire surface. The heat control on the dryer pretty much controls the length of time it takes for the print to dry. With todays printing papers the need for the ferrotyping and electric drying isn't necessary. Single Weight papers like AZO dry quite nicely when sandwiched between plastic or fiberglass window type screening available at any hard ware store.
I have never had a dryer get so hot that it melted the emulsion on a print,
but in todays world I guess anything is possible! Charlie........

Thank you guys ... i tried it again following your instructions and it works!

Look at the ferrotype thread and follow one of the directions given there.
The main thing is the chrome drum must be very clean, and have something on it to help free the prints.
Wash the drum with a good bar soap, rinse well and then rub with a soft cloth with glycerin.
It isn't easy on a drum, but that is the way we keep our 30"wide Pako going.

Hey folks, I took apart an old premier, to wash the canvas, it was covered in mildew from someone’s basement.
Bleached, rinsed, washed and rinsed again ... as I put it together I have 4 small flat pieces of spring steel that popped out of the body, without them it won’t stay shut.

Anyone have a schematic that can show me where exactly they go?

HELP!