Richard,
This all sounds painfully familiar.
Let me save you some pain.
After many hours and dollars spent testing alternatives, endless
problems with bubbles, milky white residue and massive darkening of
prints with various products, I finally came up with an excellent
varnishing process.
I described my technique it in detail in message #87508 of this list,
search the archives.
I use a foam paint roller similar to this:
I mix equal parts ClearStar ClearShield Liquid Laminate Satin and Matte.
I am considering adding a small amount of distilled water to the
final coat as the air gets drier in the winter (I live in Chicago) as
the last thin coat can sometimes dry so fast that it leaves roller
marks if you aren't careful.
Don't forget the adjustment curve step. The varnish will increase the
density of the print in the mid-tones and throughout the entire
range. Since the last post I have modified the curve adjustment to be
a little less aggressive. You kind of have to play with it to get it
just right, but basically I just lighten the print a bit so that the
unvarnished print comes out looking too light, and the varnish brings
it right back down.
I have been using this technique for about 3 months now and it is
amazingly easy, forgiving, fast and non-toxic.
For reference, I use a foam roller that looks like this:
http://www.foamtechniques.co.uk/PAINTANDROLLER%20FOAMS.htm
The ones I use are actually about 7 inches long, not like the short
ones in the picture.
I just buy them at the local hardware store. I think they are usually
used for applying varnish to woodwork.
ClearStar has a huge variety of products and it can be confusing, so
here is exactly what I use and where I got it:
WBCSG20LLGL (This is the DTG item number)
Clear Star - 1 Gallon 20 Satin Clear Shield Type LL - Water Based UV
Protective Liquid Laminate - $66.66
WBCMLLGL (This is the DTG item number)
Clear Star - 1 Gallon Matte Clear Shield Type LL - Water Based UV
Protective Liquid Laminate - $71.90
Digital Technology Group
Phone: 813-889-0660
dtgweb.com
James Haney
On Sep 27, 2007, at 10:54 PM, Richard Smallfield wrote:
> Hello,
> I've just tried applying a water-based liquid laminate - my first
> experiment with it.
>
> I first tried with a Hake brush on a lustre paper ... and left a
> few brush marks and bubbles.
>
> Then I tried with the supplied roller and covered on an old EEM
> print with bubbles. The result was pretty awful.
>
> My verdict is that this is a quick, easy, low-toxic, costly way to
> ruin a print. I'm wondering if spraying is a better option - but
> then there's the expense of buying more equipment.
>
> Any feedback would be appreciated.
>
> (The Lyson Print Guard I tried worked very well indeed - no
> downside in terms of appearance, but very toxic - I wear a mask and
> goggles but if I get one whiff I feel off colour (a bit weak)
> immediately. And I have to question if my (or any) work is
> important enough to pollute the planet further with yet more toxic
> chemicals. It really helps with bronzing ... but it would be
> simpler to stick with matte paper and not worry about this at all.)
>
> Richard
> --
> http://smallfield.vze.com
> http://photos.smallfield.vze.com (Photos web site)
> http://warkworth.vze.com/ (Warkworth photo essay)
> http://picasaweb.google.com/rsmallfield/ (Recent work)
>
> "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.
> It is the source of all true art and science."
> --Albert Einstein
>
>
>
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