WATER DEVELOPMENT PAPERS.
Every amateur who has limited facilities and time will especially appreciate a paper which requires nothing but water and acid for the entire process of developing and clearing. In W. D. (water development) Platinum one has a paper giving pure platinum tones and producing effeas equal to any photographic process.
Place paper face to face with negative (the face of paper is the yellow side) and print in sunlight until shadows are a deep canary color, and the high lights are slightly visible. In watching the progress of printing, care should be taken not to expose to strong light, as this paper is very rapid, and there is danger of fogging high lights unless due caution is observed.
When printed to proper depth, immerse print in hot water (i io degrees Fahr.) face up, sliding it in edgewise to avoid air bells. Develop ment will require but a few seconds, after which the print is to be plunged into the Cold Water, - ozs.
Muriatic Acid, c. p., - oz Soak print face down for five minutes each in two changes of clearing bath. Wash for fifteen minutes in running water or five changes of clear water, five minutes in each change.
Paper should be developed as soon as possible after printing, never later than the same day.
The foregoing directions apply where print is made from negatives of normal density. If an under-timed or weak negative is to be printed from, strength can be gained by printing under blue glass.
The best results are obtained by the use of perfeally timed and fully developed, but not " harsh" negatives.
NOTE —To prevent injury from moisture, Eastman's Water Development Platinum Paper is packed in air-tight tubes, each tube containing a lump of preserative.
When printing, remove only as much paper as is to be immediately used, keeping the balance of paper in the tube with the preservative, tightly closing tube with sealing tape. During hot weather, keep the paper (in the sealed tube) in an ice box.
Always keep the paper in a cool, dry place.
Keep the printing frame pads dry.
On days when the atmosphere is over-charged with moisture, especially in summer, this paper will print out very rapidly in the shadows; printing should, nevertheless, be continued until outlines begin to appear in the high lights.
A novel but good method of development is to hold print over steam ing water until development is nearly completed, and then immerse for a few seconds in hot water. This method gives particularly rich, brilliant prints.
Do not use what is known as " Commercial Muriatic Acid." The acid must be chemically pure, and should be colorless.
Use a fresh acid bath for each batch of prints.
Weak prints are caused by too cold developer, weak negatives or damp paper.
Dry by removing surface water and laying prints between blotters. Mount in usual manner with any good starch paste and bring into contadt with print roller.