[rollei_list] Re: Making digital negatives for platinum printing

  • From: Ardeshir Mehta <ardeshir@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 20:37:18 -0500

On Tuesday, January 25, 2005, at 04:12  PM, Bob Shell wrote:

> I did some platinum printing ages ago, so not from digital negs. I 
> made negs on some sort of Kodak film designed for the purpose. I don't 
> recall the name. Anyway, platinum printing is for rich masochists in 
> my opinion.
>
> Try gum bichromate. It's MUCH cheaper.

Hmmm. Interesting. Not having done either, I am keen on trying the 
alternative processes out - because the B&W stuff I take with my 
Rolleis and get back from the local labs is lousy to say the least, and 
I just don't have enough space in my home for a dedicated darkroom.

I was thinking, either Piezography or Platinum/Palladium would be the 
solution for me. Piezography done by a lab in Toronto (see 
<http://www.tbw99.com/>) is frightfully expensive, and so is the 
Piezography kit for a dedicated Epson of Canon printer (which I don't 
have anyway, and thus would have to buy). I read that in contrast it 
would cost me only about $(US)15 or so in chemicals and paper, tops, 
for each 11x14 inch platinum/palladium print if I did it myself, 
sandwiching the negative and the coated water-colour paper between two 
glass plates, and using duct tape ("the handyman's secret weapon") to 
bind them together for exposure to the Sun. The cost of getting a large 
digital negative made would then be my only major expense, and once 
made, the same negative could be used for many prints, over and over. I 
was thinking, I might get a local lab to make the digital negs, paying 
them the same as, or maybe a little more than, I'd pay them to get a 
paper print of the same size made: and that's just (CAN)$15 plus 15% 
tax for an 11x14 incher. That's quite affordable, since I wouldn't be 
making more than half a dozen prints in a month anyway, and in some 
months, none at all. So I don't have to be a rich masochist if I do 
this - do I?

I was wondering if anyone on this forum has ever gone this route, and 
with what results?

Cheers
























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