What is Alum for Eco Printing | Details for Paper Aluming | Ideas | Tips | Why 

Hearing this is what makes doing videos worthwhile. Thank you for the comment and for watching, Em

HI, if you are talking about a chalky feel right after aluming the paper when it dries, that is normal. Go ahead and eco print using your preferred method. Alum is a salt, so it will have a dryish/chalky feel that generally goes away after eco printing. I alum the paper and let it dry, then eco print. If you are having that feel after eco printing perhaps you can provide more information about your process. Thank you for watching:-)

Thank you for responding. I followed your instructions. I used a mixed media paper. My papers came out gorgeous, but after eco dying, rinsing and drying the papers they have a dust on them. It even dulls the impression.

Hi Katrina, I do both. Now days I mostly do eco printing out doors. I find the paper will "wiggle" no matter what in the drying process. After they are mostly dry I pick them up and put them in a pile and let them get completely dry - usually overnight. Then I stack them neatly and put weight on top to press them more flat. I have even ironed them before. Just understand they they will never be totally flat like a piece of copy paper. Just the nature of the art. Thanks for watching, Em

@@emsplace Thanks, Em! I’m learning so much from your videos. I can’t wait to try eco printing.

Hi, here is a playlist on the subject you may be interested in ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QR7_OpzPy4U.html I have done both in regard to alum on the paper. Sometimes I do up batches ahead of time and let them dry - then they are ready to go. But other times I will alum the paper right before I use it. I prefer the first method. For the botanicals, I walk around the garden with a big bowl of water with about 1/4 cup of vinegar in it. That keeps them from wilting while I do the stacking process or until ready to use - which is generally within an hour or two. I have heard some people will use dried botancicals, so you can try that too. It is all a big experiment so just give it a try and have fun. Thank you for watching, Em

Hi, At the 43 minute mark I go into detail on the process aspect and how to alum paper in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BIIwc27vsuM.html&lc=z23ivdnj2mejwtnsjacdp43b3vfk1e0cgcmoqnpas5dw03c010c&feature=em-comments

Hi, sorry for the response delay. I have done both and it worked fine, Em

Hi Earthly, appreciate the interest. I have added that (together with some others in that motif and the back side/s) to the Etsy shop. They are marketed for wall art decor. If you are interested to see the listing it can be found here: www.etsy.com/listing/698771023/eco-print-leaf-decor-eco-dyed-paper-eco?ref=shop_home_active_1 Thank you for asking, Em

Hi Laura, many people have eco dyed prints in digital form on Esty. Just put it in the search bar.

@@emsplace thank you!!! I bought it, and will love it!!!

hay traducción automatica ;) si pinchas en esa ruedita que comparece debajo del video y seleccionas "traducción automatica" y seleccionas español . No es demasiado precisa pero funciona ^_^

Hi Cindy, not really. All my research said a mordant was very important so went with that. I do however, find the type of paper used can make a difference. So if you try one type of paper and don't like the results you can always try another. I have tried a number of papers I have/had on hand and have now narrowed my choices to several that seem to work the best for me. Thanks for watching, Em

I hope it does because my paper doesn’t hold the paint at all! This is all I’ve got, though finding alum in Sydney is a pain!

Hi Mary, appreciate the suggestion. While I don't have a bathtub, I do have a really big plastic storage tub. Thank you for watching, Em

Hi, I use about one tablespoon to two cups of water - but not exact science here. Alum is reputed to draw the color from the botanical onto/into the paper/fabric. Vinegar is reputed to help "set" the color - like for dying fabric. Experiment and see what works for you, Em

Hi Victoria, yes you can eco print fabric. Natural fabric like cotton, wool, silk and etc. are reputed to work best. Make your alum water and dip the fabric in and then let drip dry. You may want to moisten the fabric first and then dunk in the solution. I use the same ratio for fabric as for paper, but maybe others have a better idea about this. Thank you for watching, Em

Hi, here is a playlist that includes some of they type of video: ru-vid.com/group/PLxKiESd8bksM_ohSGWpmdf8ulSt327Ils Thank you for watching, Em

I have test prints in my archive that still look fine after several years. Just like with pressed flowers, some botanicals fade faster, and others will last for many... years. Just don't put them in the sun. Items placed in a journal should mostly last a good while since they are in the dark most of the time. I think it is worth the effort if you have the botanicals and the time. Thank you for watching, Em

Hablo muy poco español... Alum = alumbre? una forma de sal. Gracias por cuidar, Em

Hi Lisa, I have used may kinds of paper depending up what is on hand. Some work better than others, so experiment with what you have. Mostly I like multi-media, sketch and watercolor paper. Thanks for watching!

Cartridge paper will tear its too weak

Had to look it up; called tagboard in USA. I don’t recall hearing about it before but my memory isn’t the greatest.

Hi, great question. Since I have only used fresh flowers/leaves I don't know for sure. I don't see why dried material with a good saturation of color wouldn't impart something. Give it a try:-) Perhaps others my have tried this and can provide input.

Valerie Dubbard , you need to rehydrate the plants. I press leaves for use later. When I’m ready to eco print, I’ll soak them in warm water for 15 minutes or so. If they are dry and brittle, they may break when you’re laying them out, or when you press them. I haven’t tried that with flowers, only leaves. I freeze flowers if I want to save them for printing later.

@@821elz Thank you.