Transporting wet fiber prints?

michaelsalomon · Nov 3, 2005

I have access to the darkrooms at the local community college, but they are not set up for fiber printing, or drying rather. (all the students use RC paper, and there are no drying racks for fiber paper, only an RC paper dryer.)

is it possible to squeegie my fiber prints at the school, then put them in a blotter book and put them on drying racks when I get home? I live about 15 minutes from the college.

Thanks in advance.
Mike

Donald Miller · Nov 3, 2005

I see no reason that your idea wouldn't work.

ann · Nov 3, 2005

Quite a few of my students take their fiber prints home to wash and dry as well.

With gang darkrooms it is hard to track the washing times and keep the types of paper separate; ie. RC vs. Fiber. One thing they came up with was to get a plastic storage tub at Target, ones with a lid. They put some water in the tub, the prints and then the lid. At one time they used trays but found it hard to keep the water in check.

Works great.

Your process will work as well, however, if they aren't washed well it can create other issues for other prints.

jp80874 · Nov 3, 2005

Many of the students at Akron U do this. They have two darkrooms, 15 enlargers each, one for RC, one for Fiber. They have the drying racks in the Fiber darkroom, but many of the students are quite protective assuming someone will damage, steal or deface their prints. The nervous ones take their prints home either as you describe or layered with paper towels. Seems like rough treatment, but just one of the reasons I set up a darkroom at home.

John Powers

John Powers

David A. Goldfarb · Nov 3, 2005

Seems like exactly what I would do in such a situation. I dry in blotters anyway, partially drying in one blotter book, then transferring the damp prints to a second book. I don't really have room for drying screens.

If you're going to be working there regularly, it might be worthwhile to see if someone is selling an old Pako drum-type dryer cheap on eBay or elsewhere, and you could see if the school will let you park it in their darkroom while you're affiliated with them. These things will dry your prints in 5-10 minutes.

titrisol · Nov 3, 2005

David how do you clean those dryers just in case someone beofre you put a not-very-well washed print and there is hypo in there???

I used one in the University lab a few years ago and I see some bronzing in the prints

David A. Goldfarb · Nov 3, 2005

I used to have a much smaller platen type dryer, and I think the recommendation used to be to have the canvas belts drycleaned, though who knows what chemicals get used in that process. I think the concern about just washing them was that they could shrink. Maybe one of the old-timers has a better answer than that.

Craig · Nov 3, 2005

Another option to consider is to keep a tray of the size of the biggest print you'll make and just stack the wet prints in the tray to take home. Once home, re-wet the prints so they seperate easily, and then blot and dry them.

esanford · Nov 3, 2005

michaelsalomon said:
I have access to the darkrooms at the local community college, but they are not set up for fiber printing, or drying rather. (all the students use RC paper, and there are no drying racks for fiber paper, only an RC paper dryer.)

is it possible to squeegie my fiber prints at the school, then put them in a blotter book and put them on drying racks when I get home? I live about 15 minutes from the college.

Thanks in advance.
Mike

That will work just find... Congratulations to you for using high quality fiber based paper. In your situation, it would be so easy to cop out and use RC.

Transporting wet fiber prints?

michaelsalomon

Donald Miller

ann

jp80874

David A. Goldfarb

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titrisol

David A. Goldfarb

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Craig

esanford

Transporting wet fiber prints?

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