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PLATINUMPALLADIUMPRINTING

EdwardStapel

TechnicalSupplement

Spring2011

Makingdigitalnegativesforcontactprinting

1. Anymethodorformatwillworkformakingdigitalnegativesaslongasyoumakesurethatyourimagewillgiveyou300ppiatdesiredimagesize.Keepthisin

mindwhenprocessingyourfiles,usingascanner,etc.

2. Ifyourimageisincolor,desaturateittograyscaleorapplyaB&Wfilter(orconvertittograyscalebutthissometimesthrowsawayusefuldata).

3. Alteryourimageasyoulike.

4. Adjustcurvestogiveyouanimagewithpunchycontrast.InZoneSystemparlance,thiswouldbeequivalenttoanormalexposurewithN+1development.

Basically,youwantbeefiermidtonesandsomeextracontrastinthehighlights.

Youmayprefertoloadoneoftheplatinum/palladiumcurvesprovidedforyour

use(thesecurvesarenotfoolproofyoumaywanttoperformfurther

tweaking).

5. SAVEyourimageatthispointtokeepallofyourlayerinformation.

6. Flattenyourimage

7. GotoImage>RotateCanvas>FlipHorizontal.Thiswillflipyourimagesothatwhenyouprintitemulsiontoemulsionitwillcomeoutorientedproperly.

8. ThengotoImage>Adjustments>Invert(orApple+I).Thiswillinvertyourpositivetoanegative.

9. SAVEthisnegativeversionofyourimageaswell.Saveyoufilestoaflashdrive,CD,etc.andthenprintitoutontotransparencymaterial.PictoricoOHPis

recommendedandcanbeprintedattheDesignCollaborativeorwithothernice

printers(withtheappropriateprofileorpreset).Foragrittierlookingimage,youcanalsotakeyourfilestoacopyshopandhavethemprintedonto

transparencymaterial(StaplesorKinkos,etc.).ORprintoutanice,cleanprint

ontopaper,headtoaXeroxmachine,andmakecopiesontotransparency

material.

10.Takecareofyouroutputtedmaterialsstoretheminplasticsleeves.Coveringtheemulsionsidewithapieceofplainpaperisalsoagoodidea.Thesematerials

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arequitedelicateandcangetdings,creases,andhalfmoonsinthemvery

easily.Remember,thesearenegatives,andyoushouldtreatthemcarefully.

Mixingandcoatingemulsions:

ThechemicalsusedtomakeyourPlatinum/Palladiumprintcomepremixed.Youwilluseacombinationof4solutionstomakeyouremulsion:Sensitizer#1(1),Sensitizer

#2(2),Platinum#3(Pt),andPalladium#4(Pd).Thesesolutionsaremeasuredindrops

usingaspecificTOTALnumberofdropsforagivenprintsizewithaslightlyhigher

numberofdropsofmetals(PtandPd)thansensitizers(1and2).Forcertainpapers1

dropofEndRunwillbeaddedtothemixture.

Contrastcanbecontrolledbyadjustingtheratioof1and2withintheoveralltotal

numberofdrops:more1andless2DECREASEScontrastandmore2andless1

INCREASEScontrast.Beawarethatincreasingtheratioof2willresultinaslower

emulsion(longerexposuretime)ANDusingtoomuch2inyouremulsioncanresultina

grainyappearance.

Whenmixingyouremulsion,useacombinationofplatinumandpalladiumtotake

advantageofpalladiumsspeedandplatinumsdepth.Yourmetalratioshouldbea

MAJORITYofpalladiumwithatouchofplatinum.PLEASECONSERVEPLATINUM.

Excessiveuseofplatinumiswastefulandincreasingitsamountinyouremulsionwill

resultinasloweremulsion(longerexposuretime).

PleaserefertotheDropChartbelowforsuggestedemulsionmixtures.

Pouryouemulsionmixtureontoyourpaperandquicklyspreadtheliquidaroundwithahakebrush,syntheticsablebrush,orpuddlepusher.

Letyourcoatedpaperairdryordryitwithahairdryer,putinacontactprinterwith

yournegativeandexpose.

Development,clearing,andwashingprints:

Thereareavarietyofdevelopersandclearingagentsthatcanbeusedformaking

Platinum/Palladiumprints.WewillbeusingAmmoniumCitrateasourdeveloperand

EDTAasourclearingbath.

Developerispremixedandisusedstraight.

Clearingbathis1TBSofEDTAperquartofwater.

Aftercoatingandexposureyourprintisveryvulnerable.Anywaterorother

substancethatcomesintocontactwithyouremulsionwilldissolvethatarea,resulting

inablotchyprint.

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1. Placeexposedprintinclean,drytray.Quicklyandevenlypourdeveloperoverprintdevelopmentiscompleteafter20secondsorso.Afterdevelopment,

carefullypourdeveloperbackintoitspitcher

2. Printsaretobeclearedbypouringclearingbathintothetrayovertheprint.Printsaretobeclearedin3successivebathsofclearingagent5minuteseach.

3. Washprintsfor15minutesandlayonscreentodry.**

**IfyouareusingCansonVidalonVellumorBienfang360youshouldsetupyourown

washtrayandmonitortheprintasitwashes.Thesepapersareverydelicateandcanget

crumple,ripped,orcreasedinthewashifleftunattended.Also,thesepaperstendto

curlwhentheydry.Iftheydontwanttoflattenoutproperly,gentlysteamthemuntil

theysoftenslightlyandplacethembetweentwobooks,takingcarenottomartheprint

surface.

FYI:thekitsusedintheclasscomefromBostickandSullivan(bosticksullivan.com).

Theyincludethe2sensitizingliquids(1and2),thetwometals(Pt3andPd4),

developer,andclearingagent.Currently,theycost$198.75andshouldmake358x10

prints.

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PlatinumPalladiumPrinting

EdwardStapel

DropChart

Youmayusethefollowingcharttodetermineyouremulsionmixturesformaking

platinumpalladiumprints.Keepinmindthatthesearesuggestedstartingpointsand

thatyouractualmixturesmayvary.Standardsizesarelistedfirst(followedbysquare

inchesforthatsizedifferentprintdimensionsmaycoverasimilarareaandcanhelp

determinemixtures),followedbyothersomewhatcommonsizes.Youareencouraged

toaddyourownmixesandsizes.AddingonedropofEndRuntoyouremulsionmixture

willhelpitspreadmoreevenlyonheavierpapers(BerggerCOT320,LanaAquarelle,

ArchesPlatine).

HakeBrush SyntheticBrush/PuddlePusher

Printsize

(sq.inches)

123(Pt)4(Pd):Total

123(Pt)4(Pd):Total

4x5(20)

7026:15

6025:13

5x7(35)

120311:26

10039:22

8x10(80)

200418:42

180416:38

4x6(24)

8027:17

7026:15

5.5x8(44)

150313:31

130311:27

6x9(54)

160315:34

140313:30