All this pain for crap images… Needless to say someone playing with potassium dichromate without gloves is simply out of his mind, this thing is well known to be carcinogenic and extremely toxic. Don’t harm yourself over the making of vain idols…. I’m honest in everything I do and say, and these images are not worth the time of that process.
Hello, the video and your comments are a great wealth of information. Very basic question: what size negatives are typically used in this process? Based on the video I imagine using 8x10 film (at least) to be the most ideal?
Hello, thank you for your video. I don't understand something about this process: how come you use a negative? that is, how come the areas where the gelatine got hardened by the dichromate are the areas absorbing pigment? And paper white areas where no gelatin got hardened are repelling ink. I always thought it was the other way around. Thank you!!
Gelatin paper acts the same as regular darkroom paper. The dark part on a negative produces a white part on a print. In this process the clear areas of the negative allow the light to pass through and harden the gelatin. After the exposure, when the paper is washed/soaked the highlights will swell with water based on how much light the area recieved. The paper is dried off and when oily ink is applied the swollen areas repell the ink while the hardened areas absorb ink.
That all depends on how you want the image to look. I like to do a 50:50 ratio but you can also do 60:40, 70:30, etc. I believe the less dichromate you use (for example 70% acetone 30% dichromate 70:30) you get a contrastier image. More dichromate less contrast.
Thanks for the video... I did some bromoil printing decades ago when I got photography degree from college. I stopped when I couldn't get the paper any longer and always meant to try to make my own paper. You've inspired me to get off my butt and try this method.
Hey John, you'll find that oil printing is pretty easy but does require space and patience. Check out Quinn Jacobson-The studio Q show and Borut Peterlin. They put out a lot of oil print videos. I'm not shooting anymore unfortunately, I had too many projects going and gave up my studio. Good luck with your photography. Jeff
Thank you for the informative and interesting video! I’m now trying my hand at Resinotypes, which have a similar gelatin matrix to the Rawlins process. Had a terrible time with paper buckling and now I see how you are pre-wetting and squeegeeing before coating: is that to avoid buckling? Also, how long before printing can one sentsitize? Does it take long for the gelatin to dry afterwards? Thank you!
Hello Paul! Yes pre-wet the paper for 5 minutes in cool water and squeegee it down before coating. It is to avoid buckling. Printing after sensitizing depends on a few things, humidity and temperature are the most important. BIG TIP!!! I use to have a bad streaking issue in my prints and finally found the problem. The sensitized print was not fully dry before I put it under the lights. The paper may feel dry but might not be. The best tool to use is a infrared thermometer gun, the temperature of the sensitized paper must be the same temperature as other surfaces in the room, the table it's taped down to for example. The paper will be colder from the acetone evaporating if it's not dry completely. I live in a town with 10% humidity so I can print about 20 minutes after sensitizing. The gelatin and paper dry within a day or two after inking but the ink may take weeks to dry, this depends on how thick you apply the ink. Enjoy the process!
Hi JJM... at about 7.10 in the video the prepared paper now has an image on it. Where did the image come from? Was it already in the paper prior to the preparation and laying down the gelatin over the paper? Thanks!
DAS works as an alternative sensitiser for gelatine based processes like carbon printing, so it definitely works for oil printing. I'm actually using DAS for collotype, which is basically just a rawlins oil print transferred to fresh paper.
Hi Jeff, this is a wonderful video and I have a question. Do you let the matrix completely dry overnight and then resoak the next day prior to inking ? Or do you ink straight away?
@@jo-annecripps5278 That's awesome!! Keep it up. Also, check out Quinn Jacobson (studioQ) he's a buddy of mine that teaches oil printing and has youtube videos.
@@jmmichael188 mineral spirits don't mix with the dichromate solution at all! it was like oil and water. I used acetone, but the dry time after that is still 3 hours more or less. I put it back in the clamps so it dries flat. also, when applying the dichromate/acetone solution, I need to work it around a bit to get it even over the gelatin. the solution will separate over the paper, making little circles of uncovered gelatin paper that I need to keep on going over with the sponge brush. could it be the gelatin I'm using?
@@spencerelias9946 3 hours dry time! What is the humidity of your darkroom? You may need a dehumidifier to bring that time down. Keep brushing in the dichromate if you see circles in the gelatin, it happens all the time. Brush gently though.
Hello Jeff, after a lifetime of commercial photography, this is just what I needed, beautiful process, wonderful image, thank you. Darkroom being built this year !
Sodium sulfite expedites the clearing of the dichromate stain. You don't have to use it, water only can be used. The problem with not using sodium sulfite is the print will soak for way to long and your gelatin will absorb A LOT of water. This will make inking difficult. I soak for one hour with 1% sodium sulfite and probably 4 hours without it.
www.1000bulbs.com/product/62709/FC42-MS65.html Bulbs that are 6500k work fine, no need for UV bulbs. I'd use 4-6 of these bulbs to print with. Don't use too many lights or the print will get tonally flat. Less is more.
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing this lovely technique. It is not very easy to find quality information about this out there. And great pictures! Loved the last one!
My stock solution of potassium dichromate is 10%. I sensitize the paper at a 5% solution of dichromate so I cut the stock solution in half with acetone. With this image I used 8ml of 10% dichromate and 8ml acetone to get 16ml working solution at 5%. I hope this helps!
Hello. Sorry for my a next question. But I can't find any informations about my problem. Does the UV exposure really must last for 50 minutes? I bought a small home tanning salon. There are 10 UV lamps with a total power of 400 watts. I wonder how to adopt the approximate time of exposure.
You'll have to test the lights and exposure to get the correct time. But I will tell you that the faster/brighter your lights are the more flat your images will look. Just like in salt or albumen printing, stronger/contrastier images are made by placing the prints in the shade and not in direct sunlight. My light box had 12, 100 watt UV bulbs and could expose a 2.0 density wet plate negative in 4 minutes. But, the prints were flat and bland so now i have 4 bulbs (400 watt) that give me a contrasty image but much longer exposure.
Hello Jeff. It's me again :-) I have a question if I can use contaminated ethanol instead of isopropyl alcohol? That's the specifics: Rectified alcohol (ethanol 96%) is a non-extraneous aroma, a versatile cleaner and degreaser. The product is intended for diluting fragrance compositions, paints, polishes and resin varnishes. Used for the production of perfumes, deodorants, colognes and hair sprays. Chemical composition: Ethyl alcohol: min. 96% Methanol: max. 500ppm Acidity: 15.2-30mg / l Water content: max. 4% The content of higher alcohols: 3.2-5mg / kg Density: 0.799g / cm3 Completely contaminated in accordance with the Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2016/1867 of 20/10/2016 (universal European recipe)
Well done! I wonder what the prepared negative looks like. Oil printing is a contact method. I like this technique very much because I can use a digital negative. Unfortunately, I have no idea which transparency film to use for printing, and how to properly prepare such a file in Photoshop. I'm a bit confused. There are a lot of different tutorials
Hello Rafal! I dont know about digitl negatives but looked at 3 carbon transfer printers and found that Sandy King uses the following info to create his negatives, good luck! precisiondigitalnegatives.com
@@jmmichael188 Thank you for your answer. I have one more question. In what proportions you mix the solution of potassium dichromate with acetone? Does acetone accelerate the drying process or does it have a different purpose? I have never tried this technique. I'm just getting knowledge about it. But I must admit that the effect is magical.
Yes acetone is used to speed up drying time, also it allows the dichromate to absorb quickly into the gelatin and keeps the mixture cold as acetone evaporates very fast and causes a cooling down of the gelatin. I mix a 10% stock solution of potassium dichromate and cut it in half with acetone to get a 5% working solution.Here is another video of mine; ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-avx5mIRKvgc.html And another that I found inspirational as I was learning the process. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EmpTgDlsr3o.html Thanks! Jeff @@MrAlterNus
Thank you, Jeff. Your help is invaluable. Of course, the more I start to understand, the more questions I have. I'm afraid that I fell into a trap and I think I will try this technique :-) I managed to get some information about digital negatives. So, I think it's time to buy chemicals. Best wishes and good luck.
Hello Gilles. The gelatin is; 250 bloom gelatin at 8%. So 80ml dry gelatin mixed into 1000ml cool distilled water. Allow gelatin to swell for 1/2 hour than melt in hot water. Do not allow gelatin to exceed 120 degrees fahrenheit. After gelatin has melted add 40ml isopropyl alcohol to remove micro bubbles and leave the gelatin alone for 24 hours. Filter the gelatin before use. Check out for gelatin info: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EmpTgDlsr3o.html Thanks! Jeff
