Masking Negatives for Alternative Process Printing

[@darrylroberts5235]

I love it, life changing for me. Any videos with analog negatives?

[@BillSchwab]

Unfortunately I have not done videos with analog negs, Darryl. Good suggestion though. Glad you like the videos! Thanks for writing. - Bill

[@andrewgreen1355]

Hi Bill, thanks for your videos on alternate processing. I am in Australia and have just done my first cyanotypes today. I feel like I have slipped into a new universe with this alternate stuff. I found your videos on cyanotype and masking very useful Thanks

[@BillSchwab]

You're going to have so much fun! Thanks for writing, Andrew. More to come!

[@derekdonsworth2785]

Heading into my third year studies at Uni Photography BA(Hons) with a strong lean towards the historic processes. Really enjoying these informative videos. Many Thanks and keep safe

[@renebolduc3850]

Hi Bill... thanks for your videos. They are very interesting to watch. I am in southern Quebec and in those hard times I am restructuring my working area in the basement. Also getting my hand at larger (12x16 inches) Matte Albumen prints with my newly handcrafted contact print frame. I think we all need to get things rolling the best as we can ! Keep up the good work !

[@stevewaterfall3565]

Hello Bill, Thanks for the great videos on alternative printing. Your name was given to me by Bill Carnie in Toronto over the past week as someone to watch and learn from. I am checking in from Hamilton Ontario where we are all hunkering down to ride out the pandemic. I hope to meet you and learn from you in person one day but until then I will keep tuning in to your online instruction. Keep up the great work. Stay safe, Steve Waterfall

[@stevewaterfall3565]

Sorry, that should have been Bob Carnie not Bill :)

[@BillSchwab]

Very cool! Glad to meet you, Steve! Thanks for the kind words. I'm sure our paths will cross out there. Glad you are safe! Bob is the best.

[@mikecastles]

Keep on keeping on my friend, always good to see what you are up to. From the days of your darkroom cam I've followed and still enjoy every moment you share with us. Currently working on making digital copies of photos my folks did of the courthouses of Texas. They drove around the state after Dad retired and visited all 254 counties, had the film printed and then they put them in a book. Now I am going to digitize them and hope to share them with my siblings and nieces and nephews. Keep well my friend, all the best you and the family.

[@lhuhnphotography]

Hi Bill, another excellent video. I appreciate your content and production. I have used this method before and it works well. Another method is to print a black border around the edge of the image when printing the digital negative.

[@BillSchwab]

HiLarry... Thank you! I used to do that as well, but the reason I do not use a printed black border around my negative is that the blocking capability just doesn't hold up in my experience and I often see fogging. There is also the impact on my ink levels. Rubylith works out to be pretty effective and inexpensive and there is no doubt about its blocking capabilities.

[@rafaelrojas3441]

Hi Bill. Great videos with great knowledge made by a great artist. But most importantly, great person behind! It clearly shows you care about the photographic community, sharing your knowledge and keeping people inspired. My hat off! I hope our paths will cross in the future. Me too I am using all this extra time to slow down and work in the studio and darkroom. As you say, a bit difficult to focus when there is only catastrophic news around. But this, too, shall pass. Let's use this time to reconnect with all those things we never had time to. And eventually to rethink how we see-want the future to be. Take care.

[@jerrybasierbe1195]

I hope to see the print one day, 😉

[@orbolanos]

I really hope I can learn how to do Platinum Palladium prints next year! Hello from Switzerland!

[@BillSchwab]

Hope the videos will help! Good luck!

[@JDavidBrown]

Excellent work!

[@BillSchwab]

Thank you, David! Hope it helps!

[@theinvisibleillnessproject]

This made me smile. Also: Pajama pants for the win!

[@stephenbolinger1930]

In your links to materials, the one for Fixxons brings up for a positive transparency. Fixxons does make a digital negative film also. Is the one in the link correct?

[@BillSchwab]

Stephen... Good question. Yes. That is the stuff. When you’re doing silk screens, you need to print out a positive which is then made into a negative which once the screen is Inc. is made back into a positive. You get the idea. We all use the same material.

[@slotown1978]

Hi Bill, I was wondering if the Epson 900 would be a good printer for printing out digital negatives? Thanks, Cary

[@slotown1978]

1.I am thinking about purchasing a contact frame for printing. The size would be 20x24? That way I would be able to use that size for smaller prints as well. For example printing 4 x 5 up to 20x 24. 2. Can you print a 8 x 10 negative onto coated 8 x 10 paper with with no border? And then dry mount the 8x10 print on11x14 mat board? 3. Can you recommend a UV light box? Thank you very much?

[@slotown1978]

Hi Bill, what size is your light table? Thanks, Cary

[@BillSchwab]

Hi Cary. The light table I use here is a simple Porta Trace LED and is 8.5 x 11 inches in the lighted area. Thanks for watching!

[@slotown1978]

Thank you! Cary

[@stealthvanlife6867]

Hi, quick question. If your digital negative has a perfect edge on it anyway, why mask the negative?

[@BillSchwab]

The reason is to shield any over-brushed emulsion from light therefore giving a clean edge in the final print. Many people like that ragged, over brushed look, as a signature of a platinum or palladium print, but I prefer a clean edge and this is one of the ways to achieve that.

[@stealthvanlife6867]

@@BillSchwab Thank you very much. You are making some fantastic videos. Keep up the great work and excited to see what you are going to do next.

[@F1lmtwit]

I always just print a mask into the digital negative?

[@BillSchwab]

I have found that the ink isn't dense enough in many cases and I get fogging. Too easy to use Rubylith and eliminate the possibility in my opinion.

[@fotomuvesz]

Can't the ruby or black masking around the negative be done in Photoshop?

[@BillSchwab]

Good question, but No. The ink isn’t quite dense enough to completely block the UV light from exposing any over brushing of the palladium or other emulsion.

[@fotomuvesz]

@@BillSchwab Okay thank you!

[@rockanchor]

Hi. from Lahore, Pakistan where I am in self quarantine.

[@BillSchwab]

rockanchor Thank you for checking in! Stay well!