Problems with Pd and Arches Platine

Hi All,

I can't get decent looking tones out of my Arches Platine. It looks like a VanDyke brown with some serious bronzing on my test strips, but no good middle tones or blacks. Just for comparison, I coated some cheap Arches Paper (the one with the infinity or sideways 8 on it) and got much better looking results. I'm humidifying to 55%RH and coating in about 70 degrees. Exposing on a custom UV unit.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Just a quick guess here, but Arches Platine is extremely sensitive to changes in the weather. During the winter it will often have a hard time absorbing the coating solution into the fibers of the paper, and it ends up giving poor results. You can try soaking the paper in a tray of 1-2% oxalic acid solution (or citric acid if you don't have oxalic) for a few minutes, before doing the emulsion coat. After soaking you should let the paper dry completely, then put down your normal mix of pt/pd.

You should get a better Dmax and hopefully get rid of the bronzing effect. Another thing I've also noticed is that Arhces Platine and Bergger COT-320 both need some sort of contrast booster added to the mix to cut down on a base fog that they often show. A drop of Na2 Platinum or a few drops of 3% Hyrdrogen Peroxide added to your bottle of Ferric Oxalate will clean up your higlhights and give you clean borders, if you're masking them.

Good luck!

What Dana said. Plus, adding a little standard platinum in place of some of the palladium to your mix will help prevent bronzing. It will also shift the color a bit more neutral depending how much you add. You may also want to experiment with double coating this paper.

I have been working with this paper lately and Cot-320, and having problems where I get this speckling in the blacks. But some other problems was the lack of deep blacks in the print and borders. I changed from brush to glass rod (which is purchased from B&S), this seems to give it more solution and gave it more Dmax. Do not be cheap with the solution too little and you won't get a good Dmax. I used tween20 to have a more smooth spread of solution. I also use 1 drop for 4x5, 3 drops 8x10 and 5 drops for 8x10 of Pt. I use the same Pot. Ox. developer and just add when it gets low, so there is Pt in the solution when you develop. For contrast use Na2 there is nothing else that work that good.

michael andersen

Kerik,
I forgot what you told me about negatives, way back in 2000 in Yosemite. I just got a reliable densitometer (only about 15 years too late!) and I need to know the approx. gamma of a good Pd/Pt negative. Heretofore I have been eyeballing, and therefore wrong much of the time.

New making of Arches Platine 2011

The new making of Arches Platine is here. A little more absorbent, you can increase the amount of sensitizer or even add about 30% water. You may need to add a little more contrast if adding water. Use a rod /tube first if a big print then blend with a brush.
If you are looking for this latest run of paper try Orange Art, they ship 25 sheet min 800.253.8975