source for mylar sheets?

I've been working with the ziatype process for almost 3 years now, for the most part not having a problem with negatives ruined by too-moist emulsion. It would happen occasionally, but since I make digital negatives on Pictorico, there's always the option to make a new neg. Lately however, I've been printing on heavy kozo paper, and negative ruination has become an expensive problem - I'm going through a lot of Pictorico and ink.

So I'm at the point of taking the much-offered recommendations of using a clear mylar sheet between the negative and the paper. However, I can't seem to find a source for buying less than a huge roll of the stuff. Can anyone suggest a source for buying cut sheets of 2-3 mil clear mylar? or is shelling out for a huge roll (probably more than I'll use in my lifetime) the only option?

thanks,
Ken

How about Dead Link Removed

Thanks - I followed the link, but that supplier appears to carry only matte, translucent mylar for drafting overlays, not transparent sheets.

I got a reasonably small mylar roll from Dead Link Removed. (20"x50' for $28.) I haven't checked to see if they have sheets, but the 2mil work well without ruining the image sharpness.

You might check with Dead Link Removed if Talas doesn't have sheets.

Try a pre press supply house. They carry clear mylar for drum scanning.
They come in various sizes and they are not that expensive.

PM me and i can send you my supplier for mylar for our drum scanner.

Thanks, Colin - that looks like a roll size that I could handle. What I had seen elsewhere were definitely industrial size!

Ken

kejack said:

I've been working with the ziatype process for almost 3 years now, for the most part not having a problem with negatives ruined by too-moist emulsion. It would happen occasionally, but since I make digital negatives on Pictorico, there's always the option to make a new neg. Lately however, I've been printing on heavy kozo paper, and negative ruination has become an expensive problem - I'm going through a lot of Pictorico and ink.

thanks,
Ken

Click to expand...

Ken--

I have been doing gum over palladium, and being too impatient to completely dry the gum layers, I have had monster problems with the ink side of the digital negative sticking to the gum. So, I just flipped the negative over and printed with the ink side facing up. No more sticking, ever. And since gum-palladium is a rather soft process, there was no visible reduction in image sharpness (I expect the same would be true for Ziatype). Saves mucking about with mylar and is just as effective, seems to me.

Cheers, Ron Reeder

i got this one before but i forgot where. let me see if i can remember and post it back here.

When I tried to orient the emulsion side of negative toward the glass of the vacuum frame some of it peeled off and stayed stuck to the glass.

Of course, I did not notice it until I made another print, then the crud that was stuck to the glass blocked light to the sensitized paper, effectively ruining it.

Moral of the Story. Permanently sandwich a thin layer of mylar between your negative and the sensitized paper.

Sandy King

amphoto said:

How about Dead Link Removed

Click to expand...

As the OP Pearl doesn't sell scan/print quality mylar. Try Pittman Supplies.

Dead Link Removed

Don Bryant

Ron-san said:

Ken--

I have been doing gum over palladium, and being too impatient to completely dry the gum layers, I have had monster problems with the ink side of the digital negative sticking to the gum. So, I just flipped the negative over and printed with the ink side facing up. No more sticking, ever. And since gum-palladium is a rather soft process, there was no visible reduction in image sharpness (I expect the same would be true for Ziatype). Saves mucking about with mylar and is just as effective, seems to me.

Cheers, Ron Reeder

Click to expand...

UltraFine inkjet transparency material can be used to place underneath a digital negative. Be sure to place the Ultrafine emulsion side face to pace with the emulsion side of the negative.

Don Bryant