|
Sequence viewing > Index - Alternative Photo Emulsions - Resource - ©
Lloyd Godman
Albumen
Creating and Processing
Albumen Paper Always be careful when handling chemicals. Read the health
and safety instructions. - A contribution by Chad Jarvis Albumen prints
Presented in this paper are the procedures for making your own albumen
prints. This is an involved, fairly time-consuming process but requires
skills well within the abilities of the average person. If you are patient
and interested in the time-honored technique of producing your own hand-coated
paper, then you can easily master the art of albumen printmaking. Starting
point A well-presented albumen print begins with high quality paper. Lightweight
papers (stationery stock or slightly heavier papers) are better for producing
albumen (or other POP) prints than heavier stocks, but the paper must
be sufficiently sized to endure prolonged wetting and should contain no
impurities which could stain or otherwise contaminate the emulsion. Several
manufacturers produce 100% rag papers suitable for creating albumen prints,
notable examples are Cranes (Kid Finish 32#, Platinotype or Parchment
Wove 44#), Arches (Platinotype) and Strathmore (500 Drawing). These papers
or acceptable substitutes can be purchased from Bostick & Sullivan,
Photographer's Formulary or most art supply stores. Try to avoid heavier
stock, as the paper will absorb the albumen coating, causing prints to
lose sharpness due to the emulsion's being embedded in the fibers of the
paper, rather than resting on it. Ingredients Sizing/salting solution
12 eggs or enough for 500ml of egg whites 15-g ammonium chloride or salt
15-ml distilled water 2-ml 28% acetic (glacial) acid 15-g sodium citrate
(optional preservative) 2 drops Kodak PhotoFlo (optional) Sensitizer 37.5-g
silver nitrate 250-ml distilled water 2 drops 6.5-7% potassium dichromate
(optional contrast control) Preparing the albumen To double coat 50 sheets
of 8.5X11 paper, you will need about 500-ml of egg whites. Separate the
eggs, avoiding getting yolk, shells or chalazae (the stringy white stuff)
in the whites. Pour the 500-ml of egg whites, 2-ml of 28% acetic acid,
15-ml of distilled water and 15-g of ammonium chloride (sodium chloride
or kosher/deiodized table or sea salt may be used as an alternative to
ammonium chloride) into a large glass bowl. Additionally 15-g of sodium
citrate may be added as a preservative. This is not necessary if you will
be using your albumen mixture within a couple months and will be using
your newly-created paper shortly thereafter. The high-tech kitchen lab
Beat the mixture with a whisk (an electric hand mixer will make this much
less tiring) for a minimum of 30 minutes. The mixture will become very
meringue-like but will not stiffen. The longer the mixture is beaten,
the finer the suspended air bubbles will become until nothing is left
but a fine froth. All the ingredients KitchenAid makes life easy After
beating, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place it in a refrigerator
overnight. The mixture will settle, leaving a dirty froth on top. Remove
and discard the froth, Scooping off the dirty froth and filter the remaining
albumen (approximately 350-ml of a surprisingly free-flowing liquid) through
cheesecloth, folded two or three times, Straining the mixture through
cheesecloth into a clearly labeled glass jar with a plastic lid. Adding
a drop or two of a wash aid such as Kodak PhotoFlo will help prevent the
formation of bubbles on the surface of the paper at time of coating. Age
the mixture in a refrigerator for a week or so to further denature it.
This is your sizing/salting mixture. The final product Coating the paper
Pour the albumen into a glass casserole dish. Scrape away any tiny bubbles,
which will probably have formed on the surface of the liquid. Place a
sheet of paper, front side down, on the surface of the albumen. (Look
for the watermark while holding the paper up to a light. If the watermark
reads correctly, you are looking at the front side of the paper.) Float
the paper on the mixture for three minutes. The edges of the paper, which
will curl up and away from the surface of the liquid, can be pushed down
SLIGHTLY to ensure proper contact. According to Farber other methods that
can be used to prevent paper from curling include: keeping the paper and
albumen mixture at the same temperature, lightly dampening the back of
the paper or contructing a rectangular-bottomed "boat" out of
the the paper. Care should be used to not get any albumen on the back
of the paper, as this will cause an undesirable print-through effect in
the final product. As the paper floats on the mixture, the curled edges
will relax to fully coat the surface of the paper. After three minutes
have expired, use a toothpick to lift one corner of the paper, and lift
the sheet from the surface of the albumen, allowing the liquid to drain.
Hang the paper lengthwise, blotting off any excess as the coating dries.
A toothpick works well to pop or scrape away any surface bubbles and to
squeegee the thick edge, which will form at the bottom of the paper. Double
coating Double coating, though not required, produces prints with a glossier
finish, more even coating and greater density. This process increases
the level of difficulty of creating albumen prints, though the final product
is worthy of the extra effort. The first albumen coating should be hardened
before applying the second using one of the following methods: fully steam
the coated paper, thoroughly warm the paper with an iron or mounting press,
protecting the coating with a sheet of dry, clean mount board, allow the
paper to sit in a warm place for several weeks or immerse the paper in
an isopropyl alcohol/salt solution. To double coat the paper using an
isopropyl alcohol/salt hardening solution with the albumen formula given,
use the following method. After the single-coated paper has dried, immerse
it for 15 seconds in a solution of 70% isopropyl alcohol with 3% ammonium
chloride added. This will harden the albumen for the second coat. When
the alcohol has evaporated (fully - otherwise the second coat won't stick),
float the paper on the surface of the albumen mixture once again following
the previously described procedure. The recommended salt concentration
corresponds directly with the concentration of salt in the albumen coating.
(Since 70% isopropyl alcohol will leech salt from the albumen, the same
concentration must exist in both solutions.) Without this hardening step,
the first albumen coating would otherwise wash away with the second coating.
Hang to dry from the opposite side for even results, blotting away any
excess along the bottom edge. The paper will probably curl severely; it
may be straightened in a warm mounting press. Sensitizing the paper Coated
paper will keep for several weeks if sensitizing is to be performed at
a later time; however, it is best to sensitize the paper as soon as it
is dry. Wear rubber gloves unless you want brown/black/purple stains on
your fingers, fingernails and/or clothing. Silver nitrate will react with
the salt of your skin to form silver chloride, just as it does on paper,
and will "develop out" in a matter of a minute or two in sunlight.
Wearing safety glasses is also recommended, for silver nitrate can cause
permanent damage if even a small amount is splashed into the eyes. All
of the following techniques may be carried out in subdued (incandescent)
room lighting. Avoid fluorescent lamps and other sources of UV light.
In an amber glass bottle with a plastic top mix 37.5-g of silver nitrate
with 250-ml of distilled water to make a 15% solution. Initially the solution
will be cloudy due to the reaction between the silver nitrate and the
salts and minerals in the water. The precipitate will settle overnight
and is of no consequence. Store the sesitizer in a cool, dark place. Method
1 - Floatation coating Pour 15% silver nitrate solution into a flat-bottomed
tray. The glass casserole dish used for albumen coating will work but
MUST be cleaned thoroughly after use if food is to be ingested from it.
WARNING: Ingestion of any heavy metal can be toxic; it is best to dedicate
lab ware to these procedures. Float the coated paper on the surface of
the solution for three minutes, avoiding air bubbles. Peel the paper from
the surface, and hang to dry. Some salt will inevitably leech from the
paper surface, reacting with the silver nitrate solution and forming a
precipitate which will eventually settle on the bottom of the coating
tray and storage bottle. This is the major drawback to this method - waste.
As more and more chloride ions saturate the silver nitrate solution, it
will become darker in color and less effective. Some of this potential
loss of silver nitrate can be combated by allowing the solution to sit
for an hour or two after completing sensitization, perhaps while making
a print or two, to settle the precipitate. While slowly and carefully
pouring the liquid back into its storage bottle, forego the last few milliliters,
preventing the heavier precipitate from being mixed with the solution.
Filtering off the precipitate after every use will go a long way toward
extending the life of the silver nitrate solution. Method 2 - Glass rod/brush
coating Tape the albumen-coated paper to a sheet of plate glass with drafting
tape. If the negative to be printed is smaller than the paper lay the
negative on the paper and lightly mark off the corners with a pencil.
Use these marks as a guide for coating. Transfer 45 drops (for an 8x10;
use a proportional amount for other sizes of paper) of 15% silver nitrate
solution in a plastic medicine cup. The small condiment cups used by fast
food restaurants are perfect. Optionally add 9 drops (for 8x10; use a
proportional amount for other sizes of paper) of gum arabic solution,
which will aid in spreading the emulsion. Mix the solutions by swirling
them in the cup. Use a brush without a metal ferrule, which silver nitrate
will rapidly react with, or a glass coating rod to apply the solution
to the paper. A coating rod, also available from Bostick & Sullivan
or Photographer's Formulary, is the preferred device for spreading the
emulsion, since creating streak-free papers is rather difficult, though
not impossible, with a brush. The addition of gum arabic will give the
solution an oily appearance, making seeing and spreading the coating easier.
To brush coat tip the glass, to which the paper has been taped, at a 45
degree angle and paint the silver nitrate coating from top to bottom,
drawing the brush from one side to the other, overlapping each stripe
by about half the width of the stroke. Recoat the brush after each stroke.
To coat with a glass rod lay the plate glass, to which the paper has been
taped, flat. Pour a "bead" of silver nitrate solution on the
paper along the edge of the glass rod. Lifting the rod just slightly from
the surface of the paper and wiggling it slightly will cause a capillary
action to draw the solution along the length of the rod. Lower the glass
rod to the surface of the paper, and swipe it across the paper. At the
end of the paper lift the rod slightly from the surface of the paper,
and swipe it across the paper in the opposite direction. Performing this
operation several times will ensure a smooth, even coating. If the sensitizer
is absorbed by the paper too rapidly, the paper is not sized well enough
to coat using a rod. Either try another brand/type of paper, pre-size
the paper, apply another coat of albumen, or use the floatation method
of sensitizing the paper. The paper may be air-dried or blown dry while
taped to the glass or may be carefully removed from the glass and hung
to dry. Method 2 - Wash coating Tape the albumen-coated paper to a sheet
of plate glass with drafting tape. If the negative to be printed is smaller
than the paper lay the negative on the paper and lightly mark off the
corners with a pencil. Use these marks as a guide for coating. Tilt the
glass plate about 45 degrees for coating. Add 3 or 4 milliliters of 15%
silver nitrate to a small test tube, and stuff a wad of cotton snugly
into it so that a third of the wad protrudes from the end. Tilt the test
tube to allow the solution to fully saturate the cotton. Hold the test
tube at a right angle to the paper, and starting from the top left corner,
lightly "paint" a streak of solution across the top of the paper.
When the right edge of the paper is reached, paint a streak in the opposite
direction, making sure that the streaks of solution overlap slightly,
spreading the bead of solution, which gathers at the bottom of each stroke.
Continue this pattern, right-left, left-right, right-left, until the end
of the paper is reached. The paper will have a uniform coating and will
show no evidence of streaking when done correctly. Air or hang dry. Remove
the cotton with tweezers and discard. Negative Requirements Albumen paper
requires several items somewhat unique to alternative processes. The first
requirement is a negative with a density range of 1.8 to 2.0, as the extreme
tonal range of albumen paper will cause a "normal" negative
to print very flat. The second is a contact printing frame with a split
back, which enables monitoring of the printing-out process. Third, some
sort of toner is needed, usually gold or selenium, unless a brown-orange
print color is desired. The fourth requirement is a bright, sunny day,
since albumen is very sensitive to ultraviolet light, and the best source
of this radiation is the sun. The last (absolute) necessity is patience...and
lots of it. Exposing Loading - This step must be performed in subdued
light. Load a contact printing frame with paper and a negative in typical
fashion. (Place the back, spring side down, on a flat surface. Place the
paper to be exposed on top of the back, emulsion side up. Place a negative
on the paper, emulsion side down. Cover with the (CLEAN) glass from the
print frame. Place the frame on top of the entire assembly. Flip the frame
over, so that the spring side is facing up, and clamp shut.) Once the
assembly has been examined for straightness, cleanliness, etc., place
the print frame in the sun for printing. Printing - The amount of time
required to fully print out a silver chloride print will vary depending
on the strength of the light source (by the way, UV printers may be used
in lieu of the sun) and the density of the negative. Some prints will
take as little as a minute or two, while others may take 15 to 20 minutes
to produce. The summer sun, since it is much higher in the sky than it
is in the winter, will dramatically shorten print times. Prints may also
be produced by placing the print frame toward open sky, which yields higher
contrast images but takes considerably longer due to the lack of direct
sunlight. After some time has passed, remove the frame from the light
source, and open half of the split back of the print frame. Incredible!
This is why it's called printing-out paper! The image already exists on
the paper, but this is where the process gets tricky. Toning and fixing
will bleach the print somewhat, while drying will darken it. A little
trial and error is required to determine when to stop printing. The general
rule of thumb is to print until the highlights start to show detail. The
shadow areas will appear quite dark most likely but will bleach more than
enough to show detail. The toning procedure being used should also be
considered at this time. Toning in gold before fixing is rather straightforward,
and follows the aforementioned rule of thumb. Toning in gold after fixing
will require exposing the print to light until it is considerably darker
than one would think is "normal". This is because fixing the
print first will bleach it much more than toning first. At this point
it should be mentioned that when using selenium toner, the print should
be fixed BEFORE it is toned, otherwise the toner will react with the silver
chloride in the print and will make the print "fuzzy" in appearance.
Processing Rinsing - Once the print has been exposed to an acceptable
level, remove it from the print frame and rinse it in running water. The
water will be murky at first as unreacted silver salt is rinsed away.
As it is rinsed the print will turn from a bluish-purple color to an orange-brown
color as the reaction is stopped. This will probably take about 30 seconds
but should be continued until the water is clear, as excess silver will
quickly exhaust the toning solution. If a small print is being made on
larger paper (and the dark edge will ultimately be trimmed away), trim
any excessive dark border from the print. There is no point to using (and
wasting) precious gold toner on paper, which is going to be discarded
anyway. Toning - After rinsing, slip the print into the toning solution,
and watch for a color change while agitating. Usually toning times run
anywhere from three to twelve minutes, with the longer times producing
the coldest tones. The thing to keep in mind here is that the color of
the print while it is in the toner has little to do with the ultimate
color of the print. Watch for the amount of color CHANGE to determine
when to stop toning. (Yes... more trial and error.) After a few attempts
instinct will guide the process. Fixing - Prints should be fixed in two
baths of non-hardening fixer for approximately 5 minutes each. As they
are being fixed, the prints will experience yet another color shift, which
will closely resemble the look of the final print. Bear in mind that a
considerable dry-down effect will impact the final look of the print.
If a print looks great while sitting in the fixer, it is guaranteed to
be too dark once dried. Washing - Before washing, soak in a hypo clear
(use Kodak HCA or one tablespoon EDTA plus one tablespoon sodium sulfite
to a gallon of water) bath for two to three minutes. Wash prints for 60
to 90 minutes (only about 30 minutes is required if using hypo clear)
in running water, preferably in an archival print washer. One of the undeniably
great virtues of albumen paper is that a properly washed print will outlive
the artist who produced it (as well as his children and his grandchildren).
Silver chloride prints exist today which were produced over 150 years
ago and have withstood the rigors of time with amazing permanence. Hang
prints to dry, and straighten in a dry mounting press. Alternative toning
methods - If selenium or gold toning AFTER fixing is desired, rinse and
fix the print as described above, then fully wash. Once the print has
been washed thoroughly, tone in either gold or selenium. Then wash again
for another 30 minutes. This method of toning is not necessary for gold,
but is absolutely required if toning in selenium. Keep in mind that prints
produced using this method will be vastly different from those created
using the standard method of toning. (The difference is in the point at
which bleaching occurs.) Consider toning with tea or coffee as well. Steep
five or six tea bags (no need to use any elaborate blend; the standard
orange pekoe will do fine) in a quart of water. Let cool, and tone away.
Surprisingly teas and coffee are archivally permanent but may require
extended washing. Toning The only chemical that is absolutely required
for processing albumen paper is plain non-hardening (sodium thiosulfate)
fixer. Kodak RapidFix (without the hardener - part b) is a suitable product.
Remember: only use part A of the product; the hardener will ruin an albumen
print by severely over-bleaching it. Dilute the stock solution with water
to create a 1:7 working solution. Two fixing baths are recommended, using
the typical rotation method to avoid exhaustion of the fixer. If a print
tone other than ugly orange is desired, a toner should be used. Here are
several popular toning formulae: Two-part gold thiocyanate Stock Solution
Part A Part B Distilled water 490ml Distilled water 500ml Gold chloride
1% solution 10ml Sodium thiocyanate 10g These stock solutions have an
indefinite shelf life. Working Solution Distilled water 900ml Part A 50ml
Part B 50ml Upon mixing parts A and B the solution will turn a bright
red color, which will quickly dissipate to yield a clear liquid. This
is the working strength solution to be used for this session only, as
gold thiocyanate is quickly rendered useless by oxidation. After toning
each 8x10 print, add 8ml of each stock solution to maintain consistency.
Tone print before fixing. Gold borax Stock/Working Solution Distilled
water 350ml Gold chloride 1% solution 6ml Borax 3g Distilled water to
make 400ml This toner keeps well, may be reused and can be replenished.
Experiment with different strengths of toner to expand or contract toning
times. Tone print before fixing. Selenium Stock/Working Solution Distilled
water 500ml Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner 1-2ml Experimentation will be required
to hone selenium toning, which can be finnicky. One is better off toning
too slowly than too fast, so a low concentration is the prescription for
best control. Fast toning in selenium can produce interesting split-toning
effects. Tone print after fixing. Image below: Devil's Backbone - by Chad
Jarvis, gold toned albumen print Pour toner and fixer into trays one size
larger than the paper being used (11x14 tray for 8x10 prints). Ribbed
trays may be used; however, the prints must be constantly agitated to
avoid having bright lines form where the paper contacts the tray. Flat
trays do not have this problem and are better for fully submerging the
print, since, to avoid waste, small amounts of toner are used. Notes Albumen
papers should be used within hours of sensitization, otherwise a 1.5 to
2 stop reduction in density and speed can be expected. This can purportedly
be countered somewhat by adding 15-g of sodium citrate to the albumen
solution during its initial preparation. Print contrast can be boosted
through the addition of a drop or two of 6.5-7% (2-g/30-ml) potassium
dichromate to the sensitizing solution. WARNING: Dichromates are highly
toxic and should be handled with great care to avoid accidental inhalation
or ingestion. Albumen coating solution may be aged for up to several months
to further denature the solution. This denaturing process actually "unwinds"
the molecules which form the albumen protein, making the solution less
viscous. Some have noted, "the older the better". Albumen prints
require negatives of exceedingly high contrast range, usually above 2.0,
dictating the need for full exposure (at least one stop more than a negative
to be used for a silver gelatin print) and N+2 development. These negatives
will comonly exceed the contrast range of silver gelatin papers. Negatives
that are difficult to print on grade 0 or 1 paper can often be "rescued"
with albumen, salted or other printing-out papers. Bibliography Farber,
Richard. Historic Photographic Processes. New York: Allworth Press, 1998.
Schaefer, John. The Ansel Adams Guide|Basic Techniques of Photography
Book 2. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1998.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Albumen Prints 1855 - 1895
Glass Plates In 1847, Abel
Niépce de Saint-Victor coated glass plates with the whites of eggs
(albumen) mixed with potassium iodide. He then made them sensitive to
light by immersing them in a bath of silver nitrate. In 1850, Blanquart-Evrard
improved the process, making the plates more sensitive to light.
Paper Blanquart-Evrard also
coated paper in the same way, so enabling collodion negatives to be used
to produce albumen prints. [PCH] During the 1850s both albumen and collodion
prints were made, but from around 1860 onwards, albumen prints became
the norm, until gelatin paper became available in the 1890s.
Albumen printing paper was
produced commercially. The albumen was mixed with chlorine, bromine or
iodine salts before being immersed in silver nitrate. However, here are
the instructions given by Blanquart-Evrard for creating a negative on
albumenised paper:
Coat the paper with albumen
as follows: 1. Beat into a froth the whites of eggs, to which a saturated
solution of iodide of potassium has been added in the proportion of 30
drops for each egg. 2. Let the mixture stand until the froth returns to
a liquid state. 3. Filter through clean muslin, and collect the albumin
in a large flat vessel. 4. On this lay a paper to be prepared, and allow
it to remain there for some minutes. 5. When it has imbibed the albumen,
lift it up by one of its corners and let it drain. 6. Dry it by suspending
it with pins to a line or cord across the room.
Render the paper sensitive
as follows: 7. Cover a piece of glass with aceto-nitrate of silver, composed
of one part nitrate of silver, two parts of glacial acetic acid, and ten
of distilled water. 8. On this solution, the albumen paper should be carefully
laid. 9. Beginning at one corner of the paper, it should be depressed
on the solution by an even regular motion, not stopping a moment, otherwise
there will be a stain. 10. After the paper has become quite transparent,
which may be ascertained by lifting it up, and looking through it at a
candle, it must be dried between folds of blotting paper, and placed between
the glasses of a camera frame then exposed.
Expose, Develop and Fix
the negative: 11. Take the photograph with the paper in the camera. 12.
Develop the paper using a saturated solution of gallic acid. 13. As soon
as sufficiently developed, wash off the gallo-nitrate, changing the washing
water twice. 14. Leave the paper in the water for 10 minutes, then press
between the folds of clean blotting paper. 15. Place in a strong solution
of hyposulphite of soda to fix the image, then take out as soon as the
yellow iodide of silver has been dissolved. 16. Wash well in abundance
of common water, and leave in the water for several hours. 17. Dry between
blotting paper.
Albumen prints have a slightly
glossy surface. They are sepia colour, some having a fine range of tones
in gold or brown. Albumen prints retained detail well, and did not show
the texture of the paper, as had been the case with the earlier salted
paper prints from the calotype process. Albumen prints tended to fade
and turn yellowish when exposed to light - unless they have been gold-toned,
in which case they remain an attractive purple shade.
http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1/1_early_photography_-_processes.htm
Want to learn more? - do a workshop or one on one with Lloyd Godman
|