Step by Step: How to make a Platinum Palladium Negative the Bostick & Sullivan way

How to make a platinum palladium negative, quickly and easily, with the curve made by Dave Hyams for 5% Na2 Platinum the Bostick & Sullivan way. Please check out Dave Hyams website and give him a shout from us: www.luminariaslc.com.
This demo assumes you're using Adobe Photoshop and Epson printers with Ultrachrome k3 inkset.

[@2katherina]

Thank you very much! I'm at the absolute bottom of the learning curve so found this very informative.

[@tnp651]

Here are a couple of tips: 1. Before you do anything else, do an exposure test with an unprinted strip of Pictorico to find the minimum exposure for maximum black. Put the film halfway onto the hand-coated sheet to find the minimum exposure where you can't see a difference between Pictorico and no Pictorico. 2. It is essential that you use Photo Black ink with Epson printers instead of Matte Black. The matte stuff smears and bleeds. 3. Pictorico film has a clipped corner in the upper-right to indicate the printable size. If you cut the sheets down (as I do) and lose the clipped corner, make a small mark with ball point or gel pen at the edge of the sheet. The printable side will take the mark; the non-printable side will not. 4. To get started with digital negative curves, I recommend downloading ChartThrob and using their technique to get you in the ballpark. I loaded their resulting curve, then modified it several ways and saved each as a separate curve. I ganged 9 versions on a sheet, each with a different curve, and printed it. Then I chose the curve I liked the best. Best of luck! Tom

[@AHRMmoxhet]

great video, thanks !

[@briankedwards]

Christi: Great job with your video!

[@bosticksullivan972]

Thank you Brian :P

[@shannyatravieso3798]

Hi! This a great and helpfull video that i was looking for. I’ve been watching another videos for learning this technique, and i’ve seen that some people let the negative w the emulsion on the sunlight, so i would like to know if you recommend it or is strictly necessary use the UV setup? Thank you

[@francinezaslow2119]

Great information. Can you use this for Cyanotype as well if you upload the Cyanotype LUT?

[@gb52]

nice vid but WTF use is the irritating backgroud music ！

[@ropersix]

Great, informative video. I just ordered an Na2 Platinum/Palladium kit from you guys, and am going to start with 4x5 film contact prints (but will try digital negs too). Watching at 4:30, I had the idea that maybe a yellow gel (like one used on lights) would do the same thing if layered over the glass used for exposing a contact print, with a negative that maybe isn't dense enough? Is that something people have tried? I'm just getting started, and haven't read all that much (but plan to). Thanks!

[@steveh1273]

A lot of technical issues unexplained here, I understand that due to length issues. However, why would you print on a glossy paper if you are making a negative? I have never made a digital negative before, but seems to me they should be printed on clear plastic/acetate.

[@andrewk.3089]

Glossy is normally just the ink profile that works best with a transparent film. In this case I'm pretty sure they're using Pictorico OHP Transparency.

[@tnp651]

Epson does not recommend printing on clear film with the R2880 printer Christi used, and they have no ICC profile for it. The workaround is to use a glossy paper ICC profile, since it uses less ink (nothing soaks into the paper) and is the best available alternative for film.

[@divusiulius7539]

@@tnp651 So what Epson printer does Epson recommend? Who offers the best book on the subject of Printing Digital Negatives for the Pt/Pd process?

[@tnp651]

@@divusiulius7539 sorry for the late reply. Any of the Epson Stylus Photo or SureColor printers using Ultrachrome inks will work well. I don't have a book recommendation. Here's a KZbin that will help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJq4dWtjrqqohbM

[@NorthCountyRealEstateTeam]

Love it!

[@terrywbreedlove]

Thank you

[@jean-marcfroehlinger8749]

Hi, do you have some knowledge about the Canon settings ? As many users of Epson big printers (7900 in my case) I had recently an issue with head clogging and changed the brand. I bought a Canon Prograf-2100. Would be really nice to have some details about the processing with this kind of printer (by you or by the readers). Thanks by advance.

[@divusiulius7539]

i can't help noticing that there was no Step Wedge Contrast calibration process in the workflow. This is recommended for the Na2 process? You saying that it's not needed with this particular system? It would really be nice to have seen how the negative in this video printed. I'm sure one could go through do their own step wedge for contrast and linearization, if I wanted to. But it doesn't seem like it was needed here.

[@flipflopsleica]

Where can I ≠ access digital print PS curve presets for various alternative printing options, i.e. salted print too. Thanks in advance.

[@jjualvare]

I would like to know if "Invert image" and "Flip horizontally" the same thing? So, if select invert image I don't have to select flip horizontally? Great video, thanks.

[@TheMrMKultra]

inverting the image in photoshop as shown in the image inverts the tones, so black becomes white and vice-versa. Flipping horizontally, however does not change tones, it flips the image, so the pixels on the right will appear left on the print and vice-versa. I hope that clears things up. Both are needed here.

[@mariohenriquez4339]

Can you use exactly the same settings if you are making a Platinum (only) print? Thanks for this.

[@bosticksullivan972]

Same setting should work great, but you'll want a curve designed for only platinum and you may need to adjust our max optical density.

[@krishartsphotography5643]

Thank you :)

[@Vulvatiner]

cool!! so the negative is then printed on transparency, yes? i can use the standard UV setup I have for cyanotypes?

[@bosticksullivan972]

Yes! Exactly. We use Pictorico and then curve is on our site!

[@Vulvatiner]

why is Pictorico the recommended medium? what qualities does it offer the other stuff?

[@bosticksullivan972]

It has a film coating on one side that holds ink really well. One way of making your negative denser is increasing the amount of ink the printer uses when it prints.

[@alejandrarosales7836]

I'm working on a number of different historic processes and was wondering where I can find all those curves you have on you menu

[@bosticksullivan972]

If you go here and click on the bold title of the curve, it will download right to your computer! www.christiwiltenburgphotography.com/bostick-sullivan/digitalnegatives

[@alejandrarosales7836]

Bostick & Sullivan I’m looking specifically for a curve for salt prints?

[@gchristopherklug]

Bostick & Sullivan this link expired. Can I get the curve from a different link?

[@tnp651]

Can you give us a link to Dave Hyams' curve?

[@bosticksullivan972]

If you go to our website, it is under the tab titled digtial negatives. Just click on the bold letters for the curve you want. And if you have any other questions, you can email [e-mail]

[@andrewk.3089]

What's the recommended burn time that curve is using?

[@wesleyray]

I'd try 6 minutes

[@bosticksullivan972]

With our exposure units, the exposure time for platinum palladium is normally around 6 minutes.

[@andrewk.3089]

Right on, thanks! I've always tried homebrew curves and some variations on printer settings so I'm curious to give these a shot.

[@cizcalodiablopanzon]

A decent printer I can use? Not so expensive

[@bosticksullivan972]

Any professional epson printer you can find should do the trick. But epsons are best. Hp and canon don't have the same setups and don't allow the same amount of control of the printer settings.

[@looksurly]

Looks great but I could barely understand a word. Please slow down an enunciate clearly. I hope you will take this as a sincere, constructive suggestion.

[@keithpitman7473]

Lose the music. It competes with the otherwise excellent content.

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

I agree. Why include music? Annoying and gets in the way.

[@charlemarcharlemar2401]

This must be the under 6 years old channel.

[@charlemarcharlemar2401]

This must be the under 6 years old channel.