Questions - how to dry glossy prints

[Vickko]

Hello, in anticipation of getting back into the darkroom, can you tell me how to dry glossy fiber prints, and minimize curling? It's been far too long.

1. I remember needing ferrochrome plates. No problem here

2. do I need heat? e.g. should I find the old style ARKAY dryer - canvas cover and two ferrochrome sides?

3. can I air dry the print on the ferrochrome sheets? If so, do I put something absorbent on the back and weigh it down?

....Vick

 

[ray*j*gun]

I gently squeegy off the excess water and hang them to air dry.

 

[Pablito]

If you truly need high-gloss prints you are much better off using RC glossy paper. Trying to achieve high-gloss with glossy fiber paper is not easy even with the chromed plates. On the other hand if you don't care about the high-gloss finish there are many ways to dry fiber paper.

 

[Ronald M]

A lengthwise curl is no problem. Weight after dry.

The serious problem the wavy elongated edges and a flat center caused by the edges drying faster than the center.

WHAT WORKS

Blotter roll
Not blotter book

large diameter drum , around 3 feet. Small drums do not work. Good luck finding one.

Tape the edges down to glass or basswood mechanical drawing board. Remove edges as waste

A stack type dryer with a fan, blotter sheets interleaved with corrigated board, Burke and James from 1950 like mine. Salthill made some in the 1970`s or 80`s. This is the very best solution. Good luck finding one of these too.

What does not work
blotter books
screens
irons
small flip dryers
small drum dryers
hang with weights
hang countermounted two prints, paper to paper.

Clean ferrotype plates if you want the glossy look. Dry by squeegee the emulsion against side to a SUPER CLEAN plate. Presoak the print in homemade Pakosol unless you can find some NOS. It is basically glyicerin and water plus trace a few other items.
Let stand until it pops off on its own.

Over 50 years I tried everything. Taping the print to basswood was my first and cheapest sucess. My college had large drum dryers. A friend found a B&J stack from a retiring pro for $15. Superb. Been using it for 20 years.

I have personally tried everything else I listed with mixed sucess, generally poor to maybe ok if you have low standards.


I would build a stack dryer with corrigated sheets, photo blotters, fan, and a enclosure box. Blow air thru the corrigations. Photo blotters come from Light Impressions.com
Build a box any way you can.

RC glossy is best if you want a glossy print. All my methods except ferritype place give a low sheen print knows a glossy dried matt 40 years ago. Buy glossy paper.

 

[Dwig]

It is also very important to not abuse the paper when wet.

NEVER handle large (over 5"x7"), wet fiber prints by lifting then from a single corner. NEVER squeegee a fiber print. If you need to remove excess water, blot them dry. If you distort the paper fibers when wet, which is rather easy to do, the print will never dry flat, at least without extreme constraint while drying.