sk_arts Posted August 24, 2003 Share Posted August 24, 2003 The following post is a letter describing the process which I used inmy current uploaded photographs, and the Arrhenphobia series which canbe viewed as a presentation. I was not sure where to put this, alternative process or digital. Ifinally decided on alternative process, because the process itself isnot in the digital darkroom. If the Mod feels that this isinapropriate, please note my disagreement and relocate. I also want to point out that I am not trying to replace polaroid! theresults an process is similar, but not at all the same. ------------------- The reason that you did not find much is because I am only one of twopeople that i know of anyway that have any sizeable body of work. ANYC fashion photographer I knew named Jessica worked with a solventbased inkjet transfer, I used water. My process is paper specific,hers was not. Mine looks more like a polaroid, hers have a more"flaked" apperance. Both our processes were more successful thanprevious experimenters as the coating, or "emulsion" was lifted andtransfered, and not the ink alone, so, more ink is transfered moreaccuratly and evenly, resulting in rich blacks, something mostalcohol/turpintine/acetone processes lack. Jessica kept her method top secret, I don't. I will tell you how I did it, I do not know if the paper is stillavailable, and if it is if it has or has not been reformulated. In college I was for a period trying new papers, I found thestrathmore line of inkjet papers. These papers had a very thickcoating. One particularly so, Strathmore Photo Matte, which appearedto be made from a gelatine. When I printed on it, the blacks became very buldged with lots ofgain, resulting in a speckled appearance. To remidy i tried washingthe print under the faucet. It worked to some degree, and gave it aninteresting bleached effect as well, though, I was not satisfied withthe results. However, I did notice that the gelatine coating was swolen and appeardto lift from the page. It had a slippery, slimey feel and appearedthicker than it was when it was dry. If scratched with a fingernail,the coaiting and ink would come off onto your finger in what lookedvery similar to household gelatine. In the previous semester John Paul Caponigro brought out a acetonetransfer from a color laser print. I was not impressed, but i knewinstantly that it had potential. A few days later i went to the hardware store to buy a heavygalvanized pipe to use as a rolling pin, a rolling pin would work too,but i did not think of it at the time. I also bought a blackrubber/plastic tub, about five gallons. I brought them back to my dorm, soaked a print for about 5 minutes andpressed it to some inexpensive hot pressed water color paper of fairlyhigh density. The transfered image was very dim, and appeared that the gelatine didnot adhere to the paper properly. For some reason it occured to methat the paper would become more available if it were soaked as well,along with the print. So I put a peice of the paper in the water andlet it soak until it became soft. I then removed one of my windows and placed it on the floor. I alsotook the stand which held up my laundry basket and placed severalwindow screens on it to use to dry the print. I soaked the paper andthe print together for about eight minutes. I got kind of bored justsitting there, so i started to adgitate the tub gently, and found thatthis further lifted the gelatine but removed some of the magenta ink. I placed the wet peice of water color paper on the peice of glass. Inoticed that the print kept sliding around, resulting in smudgyimages. I also noticed that the back of the print slightly stuck tothe pipe I was using. On the next transfer I stuck the bottom of the back of the print onthe pipe and pressed it firmly against the water color paper. Theprint adhered to the paper, and I was able to roll without problem. I noticed after a while the gelitin stopped oozing from the sides, andI figured that was enough as all the gelatine was transfered into thewater color paper. I pulled the paper apart, it was suprisingly stuck together, but notso much that the original would rip. The result, a perfectlytransfered print on the water color paper, and a very, very faintimage on the original with virtually all the gelatine coating removed. The transfered image has very fine patterns where the two were pulledapart, and the results can be very depthy and rich, but fine detail iscompletely lost in the process. The image is waterproof, and has notfaded in four years, but is kept in a box at all times. I found that if you take a brush gently over the entire image, littleis lost, but a color cast will be applied to the frame. The qualityalso changes somewhat, the texture is smoothed out, and sometimesbrush strokes are left behind (Self Portrait Six) The transfer is then left to dry face up, on coastal maine this tookabout twelve hours. The transfer is then pressed and matted. If you try this, PLEASE let me see what you come up with. It may bepossible to coat your own paper using multiple coats using householdor photographic/laboratory gelatine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk_arts Posted August 24, 2003 Author Share Posted August 24, 2003 I just remembered that I used dilluted india ink over the entire image to tone it (Self Portrait Two and Seven in particular), this is actually how the background was shaded, and not by pulling ink from the image... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted August 24, 2003 Share Posted August 24, 2003 The process sounds interesting but you should attach one or two examples to this thread. Sometime in the future you might wish to change your existing photo.net portfolio and, lacking examples, this text-only description would be of lesser value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk_arts Posted August 24, 2003 Author Share Posted August 24, 2003 Lex- Good idea, I did not think of that, I will post now ;)<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted August 24, 2003 Share Posted August 24, 2003 I've taken the liberty of attaching this image from your folder to this thread. It's a very striking example of the technique you've described. (If you prefer I'll delete it.)<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk_arts Posted August 24, 2003 Author Share Posted August 24, 2003 lex- That is the image I wanted, though i selected the wrong one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will_hubscher1 Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 I have been doing "color transfer" as I call it for about a year now with great results (www.hubcaparte.com). I also started out doing Xerox transfer using acetone and wondered about doing it with inkjet prints. Most papers, especially matte papers won't transfer at all. I found the cheaper and glossier the paper, the better it works. I only wet the paper the transfer is going to, not the inkjet paper. I also use Matte Medium as a transfer agent with GREAT results. You have to play with it though because to much medium will wash out dark colors. I use a borrowed etching press to make transfers, as well as using brayers. Also, unless using archival inks, teh transfered image will fade quickly, especially the magenta. Use BullDog spray (available at inkjetart.com or something similar to "seal" teh image. I use the matte version of the spray. Can't even tell its there. Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m_hincher Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 I'm dabbling in transfer prints right now using digital images and I think one of the three transfer methods will give a new look to an old series of prints of mine. I like the easy brush on gel, transfer color xerox to fine paper method. How long do I leave the gel on before turning over onto the good paper, or do I need to turn it over on the paper and apply pressure and for how long? I also like the easy acetone print from a color xerox. Should I try to tape the xerox down first to prevent so much smudging? Should I brush the acetone on or pour on? Is pressure needed? A third method you'll probably all like. You use T-Shirt transfer paper on the inkjet, and just heat transfer onto any fine art paper. A friend tells me it has a funky texture when you peel it up, I guess depending on what you ironed it onto, and has a super nice fine art feel thats a sure thing every time. Finally, what would you call these types of prints? They should have a snazzy method oriented name, but I don't know what I would call them specifically when I display them. People seem to like that the method be called something. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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