sizing transfer paper / carbon tissue


User659199@aol.com
Sun, 04 Apr 1999 18:44:30 -0400 (EDT)


Stefan Stecher @ AP+ Services
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Hi folks

Seems that I'm out of the topics of today - but I used Estern for some
testings and here some ideas / questions about sizing of papers for (carbon)
transfer papers.

I used all rag papers as Jouanot, Buxton, Arche Aquarel and Zerkal - some of
these papers I fear are only available in Germany / Europe.

1. To keep transfer paper as smoth as possible after sizing (keeping the
natural look of these great artist papers) I thought to size transfer paper
firstly with a solution of 2% gelatin just to glue the fibers and to keep
paper nearly "natural".
Then, after hardening and drying I gave a second coat to the paper with a 5%
gelatin emulsion to give enougth coating to papers surface as needed for
single transfer carbon printing.
Seems that I failed because surface of these papers are the same than those
only single coated with a 5 -6 % gelatin emulsion.

Could anybody on the list share his / heir experiences?
Will a two step coating with - let me say - 2.5 % each give the same result
than a one step coating with 5 % gelatin?

2. I felt that percentage of gelatin growths with each sheet, coated in the
emulsion.
This observation would make sense because we are talking about an emulsion
and not a solution - chemicaly spoken.
So at first paper seem to soak plain water from the emulsion primary and then
- when fully swallen - gelatin will stick mostly to the surface.
So it seems to be necessary to replace water in a coating emulsion with each
sheet being coated.

Am I right? Should one replace the loss of water with each sheet being coated
or should one rinse papers before coating?

3. to avoid glossy surface of transfer paper I added some (allready cooked)
starch to the emulsion. Result looks perfect (before printing).

But does it work with single transfer? I'm afraid because starch can't be
hardened as necessary for single transfer carbon printing.

Are there any other tricks to give transfer paper a velved (mate) looking
coat and to keep natural look as much as possible (e.g. with platinium /
paladium which doesn't need additional coating necessarily?

4. last no least I added (uncoocked) starch to standard emulsion for carbon
tissue as given in Luis Nadeau's carbon printing book and in a manual from
RPS from the 70's.
When coating, starch-particles were sinking down to the papers base and so do
not appear regulary in the final tissue (there will be a concentration at the
bottom of tissue.
This dosn't matter when using single transfer because emulsion near to
tissue's paper base (and the concentrated starch) will be washed off.
But when coating a presensitized emulsion on (mylar)-foile as I do for
3-color printing to print directly through the back for double tansfer, the
concentation of starch at the base will destroy any print.

Do you have any formulars for mate carbon tissues which will avoid these
problems?

Hope this is interesting for anybody else on the list.
 
Thanks for your help & a happy eastern monday

All the best

Stefan Stecher



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