There lies in front of me a daunting task. Within this lies many little, yet no less daunting, tasks. This challenge is printing historical process photographs on a new paper that is whisper thin. Thirty grams per square meter thin Tosa Washi made specifically for a show in Inno Town, Japan.
Several things that he has incorporated into his process have obvious advantages. The bamboo rod he uses to transport the paper from tray to tray. I am opting for a sheet of clear acrylic but would love to try this at some point. I have access to bamboo skewers in the kitchen.
Charging of the brush with distilled water is one of the most sensible things I have done. This prevents the brush from soaking up all the chemistry before it can be applied to a very thirsty paper. So glad I did this right away instead of wasting paper and chemistry with a dry brush. It could have been an expensive "DERP!" moment. I will have to stock more distilled water in the work area.
Perhaps the most amazing thing I discovered from the video was the use of felt underneath the paper. This prevents the paper from creasing as brush pressure is applied to the surface of the washi. It also creates a bit of friction with two pieces of poplar at the left and right edges so that the paper stays put.
Although the paper is designed to be used with the traditional platinum and palladium printing process, I have decided to try a Ziatype emulsion on it. Zia is a less expensive way of using palladium to form an image and it prints out an image. That means less calculation to determine proper exposure and no developer which means one less tray for a paper that is very prone to tearing and fraying in water. I also have a bit of Ziatype chemistry left over from a previous project.
Below is my text target from which I will generate a curve for the Ziatype on this the Tosa Washi. I will still create palladium prints on this paper. That is Plan A. The Ziatype will be Plan B in case I am running low on Palladium chemistry and a very finite supply of paper.
I have investigated dosa as a well to make the paper respond well to various emulsions yet just as I was experiencing success, I read about the archival (acidic) issues with this method. After watching a video by the master platinum printer Nishimaru san who created this paper, I accepted the challenge of working with this paper as it is.
Several things that he has incorporated into his process have obvious advantages. The bamboo rod he uses to transport the paper from tray to tray. I am opting for a sheet of clear acrylic but would love to try this at some point. I have access to bamboo skewers in the kitchen.
Charging of the brush with distilled water is one of the most sensible things I have done. This prevents the brush from soaking up all the chemistry before it can be applied to a very thirsty paper. So glad I did this right away instead of wasting paper and chemistry with a dry brush. It could have been an expensive "DERP!" moment. I will have to stock more distilled water in the work area.
Perhaps the most amazing thing I discovered from the video was the use of felt underneath the paper. This prevents the paper from creasing as brush pressure is applied to the surface of the washi. It also creates a bit of friction with two pieces of poplar at the left and right edges so that the paper stays put.
Although the paper is designed to be used with the traditional platinum and palladium printing process, I have decided to try a Ziatype emulsion on it. Zia is a less expensive way of using palladium to form an image and it prints out an image. That means less calculation to determine proper exposure and no developer which means one less tray for a paper that is very prone to tearing and fraying in water. I also have a bit of Ziatype chemistry left over from a previous project.
Below is my text target from which I will generate a curve for the Ziatype on this the Tosa Washi. I will still create palladium prints on this paper. That is Plan A. The Ziatype will be Plan B in case I am running low on Palladium chemistry and a very finite supply of paper.
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