Digital BW, The Print

Hi Carl,

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Carl Schofield
<scho@m...> wrote:
> Do you have any problems with bubbles and foaming when applying the 
> diluted Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish coating with the foam 
> brayer? I tried using a closed cell foam paint roller with the 
> Liquitex Gloss Varnish (not the one with medium) last year and had 
> problems with bubbles forming in the coating when rolling.

Before answering your question I'd like to say that I probably forgot
to mention in my last posting that my technique does not work with dye
ink because the water-based acrylic medium probably will dissolve it.

Now the problem with foam. What type of gloss varnish is that you're
using? Is it water based or solvent based? In my earlier test when I
used the gloss medium full strength I found as I ran the brayer over
and over again all the bubbles disappeared. Work the liquid into the
brayer then roll it hard on the tray to squeeze out excess liquid.

After you run the brayer over the print surface a few times you'd find
the foam disappears. The nice thing about the 10-15% diluted
water-based liquitex is that even if you can spot tiny bubbles on the
surface they will all disappear once the print dries. This is due to
the shrinking nature of the polymer. It works like the swellable
polymer on some inkjet papers, only that this polymer once dried is
much tougher and is water proof.

You might have not only used your varnish full strength, but probably
too much of it, too. Please retest using your current varnish and try
to reduce the amount, I believe if you dilute yours a little and
spread if really thin you'd find the bubbles will be gone. Experiment
with running the brayer over the print many times.

But if your varnish is solvent based ... I don't think it will work
with your inkjet matte paper because the solvent will seep like crazy
into the substrate and make it translucent.

For certain special prints which I keep for myself I coat with a layer
of Dorland Wax Medium to provide additional protection.

--nick