High gloss method

Gast · 2005-11-26T19:31:51+00:00

Hallo, ich bekomme keinen guten Hochglanz hin mit der Trockenpresse. Mir wurde von einem Freund meines Großvaters empfohlen, 95% Spiritus und 5% Formaldehy...

Gast

Hello, I can’t seem to get a good high-gloss finish using the dry press. A friend of my grandfather’s recommended mixing 95% methylated spirits with 5% formaldehyde, soaking the pictures in the mixture for a minute, and then putting them in the press for 10 minutes. Apparently, this was standard practice in the Wehrmacht. So my question is, is this still justifiable from a health perspective, or should I steer clear of it? I’d just really like to achieve a good high-gloss finish. Albert

Gast

Hi Albert, you’re certainly not the only one who’s struggling to achieve that perfect high-gloss baryta finish – there are simply too many factors that throw a spanner in the works :( . It just doesn’t exist: that completely flawless high-gloss finish with the types of paper available today. I, for one, haven’t come across a single baryta print like that yet. :) So: save yourself the time, money and frustration; if it absolutely has to be high-gloss, a good PE paper will do just as well! Charly

cfb_de

Hello Albert,

Apparently, that was standard practice in the Wehrmacht. [right][post="5142"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right]

That’s true. But back then they used completely different papers. It starts with the base paper, continues through the gelatin and ultimately ends with the fact that the old papers contained cadmium compounds, whereas the new ones no longer do. It’s up to you to decide to what extent you consider formalin exposure to be a risk. It’s certainly not healthy, and thank goodness for the invention of the extractor hood. But even that won’t change your frustration with high-gloss finishes. After a few years of practice, I’ve now reached the point where I can manage it reliably using ancient Lupex (almost straight from the ‘Wehrmacht’ era). With modern, card-thick papers, on the other hand, I still produce an awful lot of rejects. In principle, it works, but only in a completely joyless way and with waste. We’ll see – perhaps I’ll practise again this week. Not today, though; it’s PE’s turn, so the glossy paper is going on the washing line. Best regards, Franz

Stagirit

Couldn’t the baryta paper be coated with a high-gloss finish? I imagine Zapon varnish, for example, would work well (->Kremer pigments). Alternatively, there are extremely thin adhesive films from Oracal, but I would make sure to use cast films rather than cast-stretched ones. Formaldehyde is not as toxic as is commonly assumed (->Formaldehyde on Wikipedia); it is still used in the manufacture of medical preparations. Anyone who has ever been to an anatomy lab will be familiar with the characteristic smell of formalin. I suspect it was used during the Wehrmacht era to protect the gelatin from bacterial decay, but such preservation is already built into modern papers and films.

Gast

Apparently, that was standard practice in the Wehrmacht

. Now they’re actually recommending methods from the Third Reich here :) – where on earth have I ended up? Joker from Jokeville

cfb_de

Well, that period also saw the launch of the Leica, colour film, the heyday of the Rolleiflex, instant film, anti-reflective coatings, and so on. All inventions from that era, developed by companies based in the German Reich. Albert may have put it in a politically incorrect way, but the advice he was given really does date from that very period. Just look on the bright side and don’t be surprised. Even that era had its positive aspects. At least as far as our hobby is concerned. Only real-existing socialism in orphanages (FED) managed to achieve a similar density of innovation, where the Leica was significantly simplified and further developed. Or later among prizefighters and roofer apprentices, when the OTF measurement was invented (it then went from Dresden via Gothenburg to Japan after all, eventually coming onto the market in an Olympus OM-something-or-other). But on occasion, I’m also a joker who’s taken the mickey :-) Best regards, Franz

cfb_de

Hello stagirit, I have a slightly different view on formalin exposure, though I’m not making a big deal of it either. It’s just that there’s a small—but, to me, very significant—difference between me and any specimens in the pathology department: I’m still alive, and I’d like to stay that way for a long time to come. The specimen is already dead and can’t die a second time from formaldehyde. In the gelatin of that era, formalin primarily served a protective function, without interfering with the calcareous water used for soaking. [Somehow, I’m now itching to come out with some daft old saying about ‘live reporting’ and the ‘Kursk Arch’ or something like that...] It had less to do with preservation; after the dry press, nothing’s alive in the paper anyway, and afterwards in the album or on the wall, the formaldehyde no longer has any effect, as it’s already distilled out in the dry press. Which is why you stand there in a bit of a haze in front of the press. Zapon varnish should apply the emulsion well. Give it a go; I’m curious to see how it looks afterwards. So far, alongside the ‘natural sheen’ and the occasional proper high-gloss finish, I’ve also achieved glossy surfaces in other ways: waxing. Croy describes it using carbon disulphide and similarly uncool substances; so far, I’ve managed it the easier way (though I’ve only had four years’ long-term experience with it; as others have more experience with it, I don’t see any problems with the method): beeswax shoe polish. No joke. Erdal with EAN no. 4 001499 010651. Apply thinly, polish in. It creates a lovely finish and also ensures that fingerprints can simply be polished away. Until then, I’ll stick to trying to achieve a baryta “high” gloss using a chrome mirror and a dry press. It works reasonably well about every third time I try. And actually, I only do this for small formats up to 13x18, using my old paper from the 60s. With that, a high-gloss finish comes almost effortlessly, even using an iron or the bathroom mirror. Best regards, Franz

Stagirit

It’s just that there’s a small—but, to me, very significant—difference between me and any of those specimens in the pathology department: I’m still alive, and I’d like to stay that way for a long time to come.

OK, that’s certainly a difference I can understand. Instead of formaldehyde, you can also use other aldehydes, such as acetaldehyde (also known as ethanal); at worst, that will just give you a headache. To preserve gelatin and make it water-resistant, alum is used in painting, though this can, under certain circumstances, corrode the chrome on the dry press.

Gast

Hi lads, What about a cold high-gloss finish? Mutter Volume 3 recommends: Clean the mirror-finish glass, clean it thoroughly, clean it reeeally thoroughly, and coat it with a thin layer of ox gall. Apply the print whilst wet, wait, and you’re done. Who’s tried this yet? Regards Martin

Stagirit

It’s worth giving it a go; it doesn’t sound too bad.

cfb_de

Hi Martin, It works. I do this on the bathroom mirror with smaller prints made from really old paper (*containing* cadmium, with a rough surface and good paper stock). It’s not quite as easy with that thick PW stuff. Best regards, Franz