I would use this squeegee, I have the fancier photo squeegee but the simple window squeegee works great, I recommend this Libman
You can squeegee front or back, just be careful not to scratch the front. After you squeegee lay the print on a towel, print face up to dry, make sure there's no standing drips of water.
Fiber base paper needs to be dried in a blotter book, maybe under a heavy book, don't over dry. I use an old Pako print dryer. I dry mount fiber prints then cut
I use this squeegee:
You can save some money by going with the 9" version:
Legacy Pro Tube Squeegee (9")
Buy Legacy Pro Tube Squeegee (9") featuring Remove Excess Water from Darkroom Prints, Tube Design Promotes Even Pressure, Soft Rubber Blade. Review Legacy Pro nullwww.bhphotovideo.com
I wouldn't personally use a towel to dry prints, unless you're sure it's made from something that won't leave lint or other bits of material on the paper surface - even if you only wipe the non-emulsion side.
Well I have no money for racks and I'm limited on money. I'll break it down on what I have. White dry eraser board. Rope and clothes pins for hanging prints. A refrigerator to roll the prints on. What would be a good roller? As for flattening out the prints which would be FB for the first time for me. How long until they flatten? I'm not going to wait years for them to flatten.
I would use this squeegee, I have the fancier photo squeegee but the simple window squeegee works great, I recommend this Libman
You can squeegee front or back, just be careful not to scratch the front. After you squeegee lay the print on a towel, print face up to dry, make sure there's no standing drips of water.
Fiber base paper needs to be dried in a blotter book, maybe under a heavy book, don't over dry. I use an old Pako print dryer. I dry mount fiber prints then cut mati
Why does it seem when I read about RC and FB paper that RC seems really easy to use?
I don't have money to go buy racks or a screen or a blotter book. Now out of all that I have listed and since I'm easily getting frustrated here I really just need one straight forward answer. Not what you use but what I have that will be the best to use.
What you will find is that people do things in different ways. Some ways are better than others, and there will be disagreements about which way is best.Now out of all that I have listed and since I'm easily getting frustrated here I really just need one straight forward answer.
I use this squeegee:
You can save some money by going with the 9" version:
Legacy Pro Tube Squeegee (9")
Buy Legacy Pro Tube Squeegee (9") featuring Remove Excess Water from Darkroom Prints, Tube Design Promotes Even Pressure, Soft Rubber Blade. Review Legacy Pro nullwww.bhphotovideo.com
I wouldn't personally use a towel to dry prints, unless you're sure it's made from something that won't leave lint or other bits of material on the paper surface - even if you only wipe the non-emulsion side.
Is it a good squeegee. That's what I'm going to buy if I keep getting different answers on ways to remove water from prints. I'm just nervous about scratching the paper.
I also use a car windshield wiper blade.... widely available.
Blotter books are bad enough (prone to contamination, etc.). Using a real book with ink and God knows what else on the pages (which would probably stick to the prints - think tar and feathers) is a horrible idea.I don't have money for a blotter book. I can go to a thrift store and get a book for I don't own a book not one. So when I put the book on the print where do I lay the print? I don't have a rack. I don't have a screen. Can I just use a t shirt and put my print on it? And if so do I lay the print picture down? Thanks!
Blotter books are bad enough (prone to contamination, etc.). Using a real book with ink and God knows what else on the pages (which would probably stick to the prints - think tar and feathers) is a horrible idea.
If you make RC prints, just string a clothesline and hang them up with good old wooden clothespins. If you are making fiber-base prints, line drying works too, but weighting the bottom of the print to keep the prints from curling too much is a good idea.
Better is a drying rack. All you need is a regular old window screen in an aluminum frame. You can get kits at your local home-improvement store or scavenge some from Restore or wherever. For years I just had a garbage bag with six screens in it about 2x3 feet. These I separated with wooden blocks with grooves in them to fit the screen frame (grooves not really needed, but they made my life easier). I'd unpack them, set them up on a counter or somewhere when I needed to dry prints and then pack them back up when the prints were dry. Heck, I think I have them somewhere still - free to a good home
When I built my darkroom, I built dedicated drying racks under the countertop.
Best,
Doremus
A number of responses to a number of questions:
1) the forum is divided into different subject area sub-forums. That helps keep the information relatively focused, and makes it easier to find answers to questions by reading existing threads. In most cases, the heading of the sub-forum will give you a good idea what subjects best fit in there. Do your best to put a new thread into aa sub-forum where it appears to "fit". As you are new here, don't worry if you choose the wrong sub-forum. We don't mind moving threads when necessary. When you have been here for a while and are more familiar with how things are organized, we might be a tiny bit more impatient;
2) Wet RC prints stick to smooth flat surfaces by suction when you press them on to the surface - thus my use of a refrigerator door. A whiteboard easel would also work. Being RC, they will come off very easily once dry. Fibre paper is more likely to stick and be harder to remove, so I wouldn't do that with FB unless I had clean and polished glass instead of a refrigerator door;
3) I have and use a print roller for rolling on the prints. A clean and slightly wet and undamaged squeegee/wiper blade will also work for the purpose;
4) when you ask a question like yours here, you are likely to receive the benefit of a wide variety of answers about what works for people. Some of the diversity of those responses comes from the fact that people are answering from all around the world, and who have available to them a wide variety of suitable materials. Your question is one that can be correctly and appropriately answered in many different ways - you just need to pick answers that make the most sense for you, given what you have available.
Ok thank you I will be more patient with answers and take them in kindly instead of frustration. Thank you!
Patience will generally be rewarded.
There is lots of information out there. Hopefully we can help you work your way through some of it.
My father helped do that for me, more than 5.5 decades ago. Others have learned from teachers and friends and people in stores where you could ask questions, get advice, and buy what was necessary directly from their shelves. There also used to be a reasonably small number of books that helped, and they referenced currently available materials.
So much of that has been replaced by the internet, but don't despair. If I can get joy and satisfaction from this stuff for more than 50 years, then maybe you can as well.
I also use a car windshield wiper blade.... widely available.
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