Digital BW, The Print

Frank Kolwicz wrote:

>As to evaporating very rapidly: I tried to use the system and found the 
>rapid evaporation caused serious, expanding bubbles to form under the film 
>or under the transparent cover sheet in an air conditioned house with 
>temperatures in the 70s, but with dry conditions. I was so annoyed at the 
>extreme fussiness that I never did get a single acceptable wet mount scan, 
>but my friend did manage to do so. It's possible that he used a *lot* more 
>of the expensive Kami fluid then I was trying to use, but I'm not sure; I 
>thought that *I* was flooding the mounting area with it.
>
>  
>
An extra sheet of polyester foil - PET, 0.1 mm thick and twice the size 
of the film you want to scan will increase the capillary force and 
reduce evaporation almost completely.  I can leave a sandwich like that 
for 24 hours at room temperature and there's no air creeping in while I 
use a fast evaporating fluid that I even can't recommend for safety 
reasons but suits me well in every aspect.  I can use that extra sheet 
several times. Most of the haze left on glass is of fingerprints etc 
that dissolve in the fluid, just take care that you work clean and 
little cleaning is needed afterwards.

If you want to wet mount the film without any additional transparent 
material like described it becomes a problem in most cases. The 4x5 film 
base is too stiff and 120 film isn't flat enough for the build up of 
capillary force.

Ernst