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Can anyone give me some good papers for starting out in gum printng? Something that works well without additional sizing? And what about sizing? If I need to size, is spray starch ok or should I use something more durable like hardened gelatine? Bruce

I'm fond of Fabriano papers but they definitley have to be sized. I use Gelatine size hardened. One of the best inexpensive papers I have used with great success is Strathmore's cold press watercolor papers in the tablet. Mind you...it is not 100% cotton rag and it still needs sizing to give good prints but it is truely durable and cheap. I use it to proof things, I could never afford to print a proof on Fabriano or Arches watercolor papers.

I've never tried spray starch...I have tried Arrowroot which just doesn't give me what I want as far as stability but is easy to get and to make. I've only had good luck with applying it by floating the paper on it, not brushing...as it tends to absorb erratically and leave streaks.

I hope that helps.

I was thinking along the lines of gelatine also, but would rather not deal with the irritating, toxic formaldehyde for hardening, That leaves glyoxal (which I understand is also somewhat noxious) and potassium alum. Does anyone harden with alum, and what are the drawbacks, if any? Thanks! Bruce

I regularly use Glyoxal to harden and I havent noticed much smell, but I do all of it out doors. I only use one coat and then I put down a primary gum coat that has no pigment. It helps me to keep my highlights.

I am also trying some new papers this week. Rives BFK 250, Risling Stonehenge 250 I'm pretty sure they will need to be sized since they really softened up when I shrank them.

I do about 20 very thin layers of gum with pigment so I have to preshrink my paper.

I also tried doing a van dyke under print with just my black neg...we'll see how that goes.

Guess I'll buy me some glyoxol then. The first few exposures I tried with gb were a mixed result--I got an image that came up in a few seconds, then my heart sank as I saw it slowly bleed away into the water, leaving only the fainest image--way too little exposure, I guess. I have been experimenting with casein bichromate since and the results seem a bit more promising. I am trying different papers also--actually one of the better papers I tried with gb was Fabriano Aristico (?) hot press. I didn't size this, but I didn't preshrink either, since I am in the experimenting stage. I use negatives I make on my ink jet printer on vellum, so detail is limited. Thanks for the imput! Bruce

I actually have some Fabriano in process now. It stains terribly with magentas so I always size it and then do two coats of just gum/dichromate exposed for 1 minute in the mid day California sun.

I tend to do layers of 30 to 45 second exposure with my digital negatives. with multiple layers, the detail arrives eventually. If I am careful.

Hello!
Here are also other tips from the visitors of this site... (from The Big Paper Survey):
http://www.alternativephotography.com/a ... rt015.html

Gum printing:

Fabriano looks like a favourite amongst gum printers.


Works:


BFK - Rives - excellent results (from Wendy Currie).

Buxton 160 gsm; (240 gsm better for multiple coats) - for single-coat gum printing.

Fabriano Artistico hot 300gsm, Fabriano 5 300gsm, Somerset Satin 300gsm, Bockingford 300gsm, Daler Rowney-The Langton 300gsm (from Julian Smart).

Rives BFK if you size it first, Fabriano Artistico with or without
sizing, Fabriano Classico, Magnani Pescia, Waterford (from Christina Z. Anderson).

All papers, i.e., any paper that can withstand water for a half hour can be used to make great gum
photos. The best paper for the beginner, i.e., the most consistent and easy to use, is certainly Fabriano Uno 140lb hot press. All the other ones have been iffy at times, and I've tried them all. I prefer the look of Artistico, but they mess that stuff up quite alot. (from Keith Gerling).

Doesn't work:

Avoid chalk-buffered papers for processes using ferrioxalate sensitizers (precipitates calcium oxalate and hydrolyses the iron(III)).

Arches 88 or any paper that does not withstand long wet times (from Christina Z. Anderson).

Long soaking requires strong papers. Not too smooth in my experience. The gum arabic needs to stick to the texture. A paper that is too smooth may wash away the arabic.

Stonehenge Rising...a very light weight paper but baby butt smooth, 100% cotton rag... needs 2 good solid coats of size and tender loving care...will only support about 4 layers of emulsion max. but the results are wonderful...

Also trying a Cranes heavy weight 100% cotton #140 Printers stock...actually misprinted brochures for Ritz Carlton Hotels that I salvaged from a print shop. So far so good. Lovely finish...we'll see how it prints today.

I use 140 lb Fabriano Artistico paper. I pre-shrink it by soaking it in hot water (~115 F) for 1/2 hour.

I size with 3 packets (~30 grams) Knox gelatin per liter of distilled water hardened with 2 gm of chrome alum.

I usually do 2 passes of sizing at the outset (soak for 5 minutes after the second coating dries) to remove any excess chrome alum. Then, if I'm doing multiple passes, say BRY or CYMK, I resize after each set of color passes.

BTW, I have a 1.5 quart Crockpot that is excellent for heating my gelatin. It keeps it hot enough to stay fluid but doesn't boil.