DIY Emulsion → DIY Photo Paper

<p>I'm looking to create my own photo paper for a personal project and had a question or two about the process.<br>

In my searching I've found two recipes (<a href="http://jhartnett.gawsolutions.us/diy-projects/chemical/77-homemade-photo-emulsion.html"><strong>one</strong></a>, <a href="http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Emulsion/emulsion.html"><strong>two</strong></a>) for DIY emulsion and was just wondering — could I take my homemade emulsion, coat paper with it, and then expose directly onto the paper (likely with a LF camera)?<br>

I realize that exposing directly to paper requires much longer exposures, but could it be done?<br>

Recipe #1 is applied to canvas so I assume that paper could be used just as easily, but the resultant image is pretty rough and I'm not sure if that's due to the canvas or the emulsion soup.<br>

Recipe #2 yields a much cleaner image, but the instructions call for coating <em>glass</em> and I don't know if it'd work on paper just as easily.<br>

Does anyone here have any experience with making their own photo paper and/or directly exposing an image to said paper? How did it turn out?<br>

Thanks!</p>

<p>You've already found a couple of websites I would have suggested for research. Every homemade, hand-coated light sensitive emulsion paper I'm familiar with is intended for contact printing, often using sunlight or a strong UV light.</p>

<p>Regarding paper, many artist quality papers are good. I've used watercolor papers that were already sized, and even handmade paper and homebrewed sizing - although the latter was pretty crude and of dubious archival quality.</p>

<p>There are some very easy to use kits for making cyanotype paper. Unfortunately most sources for materials for printing out paper have vanished.</p>

<p>If you're using negatives smaller than medium format the best method is to create a larger negative for contact printing. Nowadays many photographers doing this are scanning the miniature and medium format negatives,or using digital camera captures, and creating larger format negatives printed on transparencies. I've only dabbled in making my own inkjet negatives for printing on cyanotype, which wasn't a very demanding medium.</p>

<p>Look for sites on "old-tyme" photography. There are people still doing wet plate and preparing their own papers.</p>

<p>Crawford, William<br />1979 <em>The Keepers of Light: A History and Working Guide to Early Photographic Processes</em>. Morgan & Morgan, NY.</p>

<p>is a good place to start, if you can find it.</p>

<p>Places like Gutenberg have pdf copies of early, contemporary books telling people how make their materials. e.g., Henry Snelling's 1849 book.</p>

<p>Just to check: exposing the paper in camera will will give you a negative, not a positive print. Do you then plan to contact print the paper negative?</p>

<p>Yes, I have made my own photographic paper, and it's not very difficult. It does take some practice to make clean coating though. Another, more practical, reference for you: http://www.thelightfarm.com/<br>

On your questions:</p>

<p>> I realize that exposing directly to paper requires much longer exposures, but could it be done?</p>

<p>Yes, it can be done. You just need to make faster emulsion for that. #2 is faster emulsion of the two.<br>

<br /> > Recipe #1 is applied to canvas so I assume that paper could be used just as easily, but the resultant image is pretty rough and I'm not sure if that's due to the canvas or the emulsion soup.</p>

<p>It's due to the canvas. This slow emulsion is very fine grained. However, it is also very slow, as in 15-30 seconds contact prints under the table light. If you use that in camera, the exposure time will be in hours. Now that you mention, I have got some left over chloride emulsion in the fridge. I think I'll try it in my 4x5 just for the laughs :)</p>

<p>> Recipe #2 yields a much cleaner image, but the instructions call for coating <em>glass</em> and I don't know if it'd work on paper just as easily.</p>

<p>Sure, it will work. But see Allen's post - you'll get a negative. Of course, you could try to reverse process it, but I promise you, *that* will be challenging since these emulsion formulas don't have a hardener and are very soft and fragile. You are better off making a negative on a transparent substrate (try Grafix Dura-Lar Wet Media film) and then contact printing it to a photo paper. Good luck, you are into a lot of fun! Once you get your first home-made photo paper print, you'll be hooked. It's that beautiful!</p>