Drying Fibre Based Papers

[mattg]

Hi everyone, just wondering what the current recomendations are for drying fibrebased papers.

I need to hire a darkroom here in Korea and the owner wants to charge me for drying my prints. Any way to shorten the drying time without upsetting flatness or archival qualities would be appreciated.

Thanks, Matt.

 

[varjag]

I use the gloss press (how is it called in English?) to dry them. Helps against curl.

 

[Poptart]

It's called ferrotyping and if there's any contaminants on the plate they'll infect your prints.

The best thing to do is buy a big stack of lintless photo blotters, take your prints home and dry them yourself. Blotters, used correctly, will give you the flattest fiber prints.

 

[a giant rat]

we put them on mesh, face down, they curl up, they go under a stack of books.

 

[varjag]

It's called ferrotyping and if there's any contaminants on the plate they'll infect your prints.

Well I wipe the plates with alcohol first, though I was doing that to ensure even gloss on the prints rather than to remove contaminants. Thanks for the info.

 

[phototone]

Well I wipe the plates with alcohol first, though I was doing that to ensure even gloss on the prints rather than to remove contaminants. Thanks for the info.

Its not the plates, it is the apron that holds the prints to the plates on heated dryers, that gives the contamination.

 

[Trius]

I have never used blotters, though I agree it's a good way to go, and using them to transport the prints from the darkroom to home seems like a great idea. But the blotters must remain uncontaminated, just like the apron on the ferrotype.

My method has been to construct racks using fibreglass screen material. I made up frames using 2"x2" lumber stock, then stapled the screens to these frames. You can make the frames as large (within reason) or small as your needs dictate.

I liked the look of glossy paper dried matte. The prints were placed face down on the screens and allowed to air dry. A fan and/or dehumidifier aids in speeding up drying time.

It is important to use fibreglass or other synthetic screen that does not rust. After every drying session I hosed the screens down, wiped them with a weak solution of chlorine bleach water, then rinsed well again. If you do a lot of large batches of prints you could build a rack to contain multiple frames.

Trius

 

[FrankS]

I believe there is an anti-curling agent to add to the final wash that helps FB prints dry flat. Sorry, don't know the name or the manufacturer.

 

[phototone]

Frank, the "anti-curling" final soak was in a solution of Pakosol and water.

 

[Poptart]

I think glycerine does the same thing.

 

[mattg]

Thanks for all the great info.

After talking furher with the owner he has a drying rack, I'm just not sure whether I trust it to be free of contaminants. I'll also look at photo blotter as an altrnative.

Thanks.

 

[Justin Low]

I personally squeegee both sides of the paper on a clean counter-top or sheet of glass. Gently, of course; don't want to scratch the emulsion. I then leave it face-up to dry on a stack of newspapers. In Singapore's temperature and humidity, the prints are dry in an hour or two, with minimum curl.

I don't use any wetting or flattening agents.

 

[gns]

Simple method used for years. Never a problem...
1. Squeegee.
2. Air dry face down on clean plastic window screen material.
3. If slightly curled, flatten in dry mount press.

I made the screens up myself (as Trius described) and built a rack for them. Clean them well before using the first time. If you wash your prints properly, they won't need much re-cleaning.If you don't have a dry mount press, I guess you could put some books on them.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Poptart,

Ferrotyping in American but not English. I add this merely in case English speakers are confused.

A flatbed or rotary dryer/glazer can be used either to glaze (prints face down on mirror plate) or 'emulsion out' in which case a hardening fixer is a good idea to reduce lint pick-up from the drying blanket.

Drying racks are washable.

Even curly prints dried on a line can be flattened in a book press or under heavy books.

'Anti-curl' baths (humectants) in my experience (almost 30 years) impart a loathesome texture to the prints.

Cheers,

Roger (www.rogerandfrances.xom)

 

[gns]

Mattg,

You can take your prints home wet in a sealable plastic tray/container and dry them there. I new people who did this at school because they did not trust that the screens were clean.

 

[Roger Hicks]

gns,

Wise!

R

 

[FrankS]

"'Anti-curl' baths (humectants) in my experience (almost 30 years) impart a loathesome texture to the prints."

That must be some bad-assed texture to be deemed "loathesome"! 🙂

 

[Roman]

A method that seems to be popular among German fine art printers (though I haven't tried it myself), is sticking the FB print to a piece of particle board or a glass plate, with a kind of paper sticky tape (you have to make it wet to get it sticky, it is usually used ba aquarellists); the you let the print dry for one or two days, and cut it out from the tape; it is supposed to be really flat then.
Personally, I usually use one of those flatbed dryers (but without the plate for glazing - I simply put the semi-dried paper with the glossy side towards the cloth side of the press, and dry it until I cannot feel any moisture through the cloth. This gives a nice not-quite-glossy, but not matte finish. Occasionally some prints do get wavy borders with that method, though, and I have to re-moisten and re-dry them again...

Roman

 

[canonetc]

My cheap method:

Buy two sheets of grey 16x20 acid-free matte board. After rinsing your fiber print for at least an hour or more, squeegee it on glass (carefully, image side up, make sure glass is clean). Using wooden clips, hang it by two corners on fishing line in a warm area (I do mine in the kitchen over a gas stove, not on) so that the surface water on the back of the print drips off. Before ANY part of the print gets totally dry, take the print and lay it between the 16x20 matteboards. Make sure you use the grey side of the matteboard against the front and back of the print; the grey sides will absorb the remaining moisture.

Place the "Print Sandwich" on a flat table. Grab the heaviest and biggest books you have, and stack them tight and evenly on the sandwich. Leave print(s) compressed for 1-3 days. Trim 1" off the edge, and you will have a 15"x19" flat print with very little to absolutely no curl.

As you make more prints in the same darkroom session, simply add another sandwich to the first one, books on top as before.

Complex, but it works and its cheap! No need to buy a print dryer or pay a lab tech to dry them for you. And no, I have had no staining on my prints after using the same 16x20 mattes for at least eight months now. Wash the prints well and long! Note I have not been able to keep a full and untrimmed 16x20 from edge curling, but this method works great on 11x14 and smaller paper, plus as I said above, you can trim 16x20 down to 15x19. With experimentation (and patient waiting) you'll probably come up with a simpler way for yourself without large investment.

If you're pressed for time, then sandwich the print(s) overnight and check the results the next morning. If that doesn't cut it for you, then pay the guy at the lab and pray he does it right with his heat press.

Good luck,

Chris
canonetc

 

[mattg]

Thanks again for more good ideas.

I have been drying the prints simply by hanging them and then use a drymount press to get them perfectly flat. I didn't trust a drying rack for cleanliness and didn't fancy taking 20 11x14s home wet.

Just thought I might mention that Korea is heaven for photographers. Paper, chemicals, darkroom hire and even top quality scanning cost between 20% and 50% of what they do at home in Australia.

Thanks again, Matt.