Step 7. - Final Wash & Dry:

Wash print in running warm water as for normal photographic prints for about 20 mins to an hour. A bath of Hypo clear can be used to speed up the washing.

Depending on the nature of the paper, it can become fragile and tear or break up when soaked for a long period and this is particularly so with larger sheets of paper. Delicate papers can be taped down onto a baseboard for processing.

While it is best to wipe all surfaces when the chemical mixture is wet, any marks left by the emulsion on working surfaces that have dried can be cleaned up relatively easily with water. Tap water may be used for the wash, but use distilled water for best results.

Step 8. - Drying the Print:

Hung up to dry with a clothes peg as for any photographic print, or lay flat to dry.

Larger sheets of paper are heavy and can tear or buckle significantly when drying. With large sheets I tend to hold the paper up in a curved cradle to give it support until all the excess water has run off before hanging up.

If you use 3 or 4 pegs to hang a large work keep and eye on it as it dries to readjust the pegs. If the work is left, it may shrink as it dries and end up with a winkle or pucker.

Note the darker brown colour of the final print

NOTES: · Mix small amounts first (about 20 ml or 1/2 oz, for example). Then mix more sensitiser as needed. · The powdered chemicals keep longer than the stock solutions. · Stock solutions will keep several months or longer. · Other recipes with different proportions exist; stronger or more dilute solutions may work better for specific situations. 20 ml sensitiser solution makes 5-10 8"x10" prints, depending upon coating techniques, absorbency of paper, brushes, and other variables.

Want to learn more? - do a workshop or one on one with Lloyd Godman