Scratches - Digitally Enlarged Negatives

[MurrayMinchin]

Hi there,

Is there any way to toughen up digitally enlarged negatives so they aren't so susceptible to scratching on the 'emulsion' side?

I saw someone on a yoo-toob video popping one into an UV light box for a few minutes...would that do the trick?

I'm aware that the back side stays milky until the ink/pigment is dry, but that's the depth of my knowledge...got any shareable tips?

 

[koraks]

Which substrate do you use?
So far I've found the generic screen printing film I've been using fairly tough, although anything will scratch if I'm being too clumsy with it.

Perhaps just store them in transparent sleeves and only take out to print?

I suppose you could spray some kind of fixative onto them, but I've never tried it. I consider digital negatives more of a disposable, to be honest.

 

[faberryman]

Archival Methods has a variety of products for protecting negative and prints, which would work for digital negatives. I am sure other companies provide similar products.

Archival Enclosures | Archival Methods | Acid-Free Sleeves

www.archivalmethods.com

 

[Paul Ozzello]

I wonder if Hahnemuhle protective spray would help. A clear laminate might work but may make it too thick to get a sharp image. I always store my Piezography or other inkjet prints with sheets of glassine

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Which substrate do you use?
So far I've found the generic screen printing film I've been using fairly tough, although anything will scratch if I'm being too clumsy with it.

Perhaps just store them in transparent sleeves and only take out to print?

I suppose you could spray some kind of fixative onto them, but I've never tried it. I consider digital negatives more of a disposable, to be honest.

It's an unnamed product (they didn't want to share the manufacturers name for some reason) from thescreenprintstore.ca:

Waterproof Screen Positive Inkjet Film 8.5"X11" 100 Sheets

Canada's source for everything you need to screen print and silk screen t-shirts.

www.thescreenprintstore.ca

This product cost me $59.95 Canadian ($44.98 US) for 100 sheets of 8.5x11.

Both Pictorico and Fixxons are hard to find in Canada, and expensive. Pictorico Premium OHP from B&H is $29.95 for 20 sheets of 8.5x11, so would cost me $149.75 US ($199.60 Canadian) for 100 sheets.

Egad.

I'm at the bottom of the learning curve, so didn't want to be too hindered by cost.

We have an Epson P600 and in ABW mode at the darkest setting there is absolutely no indication that the material is being overwhelmed.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Archival Methods has a variety of products for protecting negative and prints, which would work for digital negatives. I am sure other companies provide similar products.

Archival Enclosures | Archival Methods | Acid-Free Sleeves

www.archivalmethods.com

I wonder if Hahnemuhle protective spray would help. A clear laminate might work but may make it too thick to get a sharp image. I always store my Piezography or other inkjet prints with sheets of glassine

Thanks...will snoop down those paths for a solution.

 

[jeffreyg]

I haven’t had any problems with the transparent media I use. You might try printing leaving a border to handle the negatives if you aren’t already doing that I’m not sure how a spray will work since I never tried it for negatives. You could test it to see.

ABOUT | JEFFREY GLASSER

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[koraks]

@MurrayMinchin that's probably the same kind of stuff I've been using. Indeed, it provides ample blocking power and supports fairly high ink loads. I've tested it side by side with Fixxons and found the latter marginally better, but not really worth it for my (current) use.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

@MurrayMinchin that's probably the same kind of stuff I've been using. Indeed, it provides ample blocking power and supports fairly high ink loads. I've tested it side by side with Fixxons and found the latter marginally better, but not really worth it for my (current) use.

Ample indeed.

I started out doing tests at Epson's ABW 'Darkest' setting with +75 yellow added (all the reading I'd done predicted huge ink loads would be needed) and worked my way backwards to the 'Light' setting with no yellow added and I'm still getting a pure white at the minimum max black time for salt prints.

 

[Alan9940]

I leave a fairly wide border around the image area to avoid pizza wheel marks, handle the negative very carefully until fully dry, then put in clear plastic sleeve. Of course, I always handle the negative carefully during printing and I've never damaged a single one.

 

[MattKing]

Murray,
Handle them like special delivery mail!

 

[MurrayMinchin]

I leave a fairly wide border around the image area to avoid pizza wheel marks, handle the negative very carefully until fully dry, then put in clear plastic sleeve. Of course, I always handle the negative carefully during printing and I've never damaged a single one.

A tip of my hat your way.

Will have to tighten up my digi-neg handling methodology.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Murray,
Handle them like special delivery mail!

What?

I don't understand your joke?

Oh, I get it...that's a Postie joke...hee hee heeeeee...I'm retired!!!!