Digital BW, The Print

On Thursday, August 7, 2003, at 05:19  PM, davajonj wrote:

> I wasn't going to post this because it's a bit long but I've had a 
> request to post
> on the forum so out of courtesy to the person who asked, here it is.
>
> Hi,
> Here is what I do.  First of all, let's consider mess.  The Mayer rod 
> requires you
> lay down  a bead which varies according to the size of the paper you're
> coating.  That,  it seems to me is a variable  difficult to be precise 
> and
> consistent with  from print to print.

Its extremely easy to precise...use a syringe.  Regardless of how much 
you put down, unlike a spray gun a Mayer Rod or also called a "Metering 
Rod" puts down exactly the same amount onto the paper...every time.

> Next, when you lay down  bead you have
> to be absolutely sure to lay down enough so that you don't run out of 
> material
> toward the end of your print coating.

Easy...just measure with a syringe...I never run out...its impossible 
if you measure.

> So, one would normally lay down
> enough and perhaps a little more than enough just to be sure.  This 
> leaves
> this very sticky material on your glass upon which you have placed 
> your print.

Make a run off trough at the end and run the paper to the edge of the 
paper.  No mess...excess goes in the trough and hardens...no clean up.

> That has to be cleaned up after each print and that means using a lot 
> of water,
> towels, and time, etc.

A quick rinse of the rod with water, one wipe with a lint free cloth 
and you are on to the next print.

> Then you have to be very careful not to leave even the
> slightest moisture on the glass as that complicates matters.

The key is not to get anything on the glass...which is easy if you put 
the edge of the paper all the way to the edge of the glass and run the 
fluid off into a trough (made mine with corrugated plastic board and 
hot glue...took about 10 minutes).

> Between  each
> print you must also clean and dry your rod.  Thoroughly!  If, like me, 
>  you know
> you have paid about $50 for a gallon of Hydrocote you don't want to 
> just throw
> the excess material away so you save it by scraping it into a 
> container: more
> clean-up there too.

If you don't want to through away material...than what the heck are 
using a sprayer for? have you heard about overspray?
>
>
> I tape two  sides of the print  (top and bottom) to be sprayed to a 
> piece of
> cardboard four or five iches bigger than the print on all sides.  The 
> cardboard
> works fine but one might one to use formica board or something else.  
> The
> cardboard I've  use bends a little but it hasn't caused me any 
> problems.
> When I first got the Badger,  I read the instruction sheet and 
> adjusted the gun
> to their recommendations.  Works fine.  I take the cardboard with the 
> taped
> prints (or cardboards with taped prints) out into the garage because 
> there is a
> little overspray.  Placing the cardboard with the print taped to it, I 
> spray a first
> coat of material over the print moving from side to side smoothly 
> overlapping
> just as the Badger instruction sheet says to do.  I put a thin first 
> coat and then
> let dry for about five minutes.  If you try to put a full coat onto 
> the print,  the
> material soaks into the print and and causes it to buckle and that 
> occasionally
> causes problems.

This is asking for trouble.  If you don't put a polyurethane down in a 
single coat you should wait for at least 24 hours before the second 
coat...because of curing.

>  I had the same problem with the Mayer rod and the
> problem with the Mayer is you can't just go over it again.

Then you are not using heavy enough paper.  I've never had a sheet of 
300gm paper buckle with hydrocote and a #30 rod.    If fact 250gm 
Somerset Enhanced also works great, but don't waste your time with 
<200gm sheets like the light weight PhotoRag or EAM/EEM.

> It's got to be the first
> time or nothing with the rod.  But the light coat of spray is not 
> enough to cause
> any buckling or wrinkling.  After it dries, it has now given you a nice
> waterproof coat upon which to put on your second coat of Hydrocote.  I 
> allow
> the second coat another five minutes and then put on the final coat.  
> Every
> print I've produced so far has been entirely satisfactory.  I'm 
> spraying 13x19
> prints and various sizes smaller.  I have done several at a time which 
> helps
> production.

You will never get a full cure with this procedure.

>
> Caveats:
> Use removable scotch tape not the regular tape.
> Don't try spraying if your work site is hot, i.e 85-95 degrees.  
> Comfortable
> temperatures work fine but the material seems to dry a little too 
> quickly in a
> hot garage.
> Important!  When you prepare to do your spraying, thoroughly mix your 
> gallon
> of Hydrocote by hand.  There seems to be some settling of some of the
> material and one paint expert told me that failing to mix well could 
> influence
> how the material lays down.  So mix thoroughly.
> Important!  Use a water filter close to the Badger.  When I didn't use 
> a water
> filter, I occasionally got little drops of water onto a print and in 
> my opinion
> makes the print unacceptable.  You can see them  by looking carefully. 
>  Once
> I started using the water filter (about $8) I haven't  had a problem.
> Important!  Get some paint filters (they're cheap) and filter your 
> material into a
> clean dust-free container and then pour from that container into the 
> Badger
> container.

Wear a respirator and gloves...whether you know it or not you have 
spray going through out your studio (and on your skin and 
lungs)...particularly with the type of compressor you are using.  There 
is much less over spray with a HVLP system.
>

> I need to mention that I am using Epson's Enhance Matte and have no
> experience on any other paper.

That's your problem with buckling...switch to a 300gm paper and there 
is no problem.

Robert