# Sweet Dreams



## windrivermaiden (Jul 13, 2008)

Here is the first successful indoor UV, gum dichromate print. Because I only have a single curly UV light in a regular hanging lamp, the printable area is only about 6 x 6 inches max. This print is 3.5 x 5 inches and deliberately printed "pastel" for effect. His little right hand is more magenta because he was under a pink umbrella. 

It was also "hot washed": soaked in 4 still water baths of 105 degree F. for 10 minutes each instead of 4 still water baths of 68 degree F for 20 or more minutes each . The hot wash reduces the time needed to clear the unhardened gum, but also is risky because it makes the gum more fragile, and it takes very little to wash away the entire emulsion by mistake.

the paper is Stonehenge #140 hot press, triple sized with gelatine with a glycol hardner.


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## terri (Jul 13, 2008)

Oh gosh, he's a sweet little guy, and this gum print does a wonderful job of showcasing him! :thumbup: The extra magenta isn't bothering me a bit with this subject matter, I think it works beautifully.

I really enjoy reading about the technique, Crystal. I was unaware you had such a wide temperature choice when it comes to clearing the gum. 

Question: where do you get your sizing materials? I am interested in the sound of this gelatine/glycol with hardener mix. Tell me more.


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## windrivermaiden (Jul 13, 2008)

IN READING THIS I FOUND I WAS LONG WINDED SO I DIVIDED IT INTO TWO PARTS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SKIP THE CONVERSATION AND GET RIGHT TO THE GRITTY.
ABOUT HOT WASH:

I didn't know that there was a temperature range either...till I was sleepy headedly trying to finish a print late at night and accidentally put in hot water. I had the classic "oh Pooh!" moment thinking I had ruined the print but I realized that the chromate color was clearing unusually fast. The first trial after that with warm water cleared nicely, but when I sprayed the surface of the image after the final rinse as is the normal final step, it washed away the whole image. I messed around with it the next few days till I found the best temp and process to remove the chromate quickly but not ruin the image.

My next trial is to do the first 2 washes in the hot and then transition to the cool for the final two baths. I think the cooler water will firm up the gum in the image area and allow a little more agitation at the end to remove the fine particles of gum that are not actually hardened by the UV. 

I noticed that with a larger image hot washed, the value transition is steeper and gum tends to have a shortened value range (6 value zones more or less compared to 10 zones as in the Zone technique) So, it is possible that with a larger image printed in a more saturated fashion, that tonal transitions would be more "posterized" which could be either a good thing or a hazard, depending on what you wanted the print to look like.

ABOUT GELATINE SIZE:

I use Knox gelatine mixed 1 tsp to 1/2 cup water. I take 1/4 cup of the solution, melt it in the microwave till it is liquid, but not hot then, add 5-10 drops ( 1 ml more or less) of glyoxl which I get from Bostick and Sullivan's in Santa Fe. You can also buy gelatine from them but I got mine from Smart and Final, which is like restaurant supply store here in CA. It is food grade gelatine which I find smells less yucky.  and Sorry, B&S it is so much cheaper. You can also harden with formaldahyde but it is more toxic.

Use the gelatine with hardner added all at one time and put any extra ( like you'd waste it) in to the trash not down the sink because once it hardens...it is not soluble anymore and you'll be calling Mr Rooter!

I find that 2 coats of size often will have thin spots from the tiny bubbles in the surface that will hold fine through 3 or 4 rounds of coating with emulsion and washes and then fail on the final coating by allowing the pigment in the emulsion to stain the paper and ruining the print just when you were on the verge of success!  let me fish one out of the trash and scan it and show you what I mean....


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