Critique of New Photographic Process

[unpopular]

I am about ready to start experiments with a new photographic process I have been designing on paper, which I have come to call the "Matrix Thermal Transfer Process".

The basic idea is that a soap or wax with a relatively low melting point is selectively restrained from transfer to a print medium upon application of uniform heat. To accomplish this, I plan to suspend pigmented soap within a dichromated gelatin matrix, areas exposed to UV light will harden and entrap the soap while areas left unexposed will remain free.

Soap is chosen due to it's water solubility.

When in contact with a printing medium and applied to heat and pressure, I predict that the soap within the unexposed region will melt and liquify, transferring pigment to the printing medium while the soap within the exposed region will be entrapped in the hardened gelatin, permitting the printing medium to show through white.

Any thoughts?

 

[Josh66]

Sounds messy.




Can't wait to see the results if it works.

 

[unpopular]

Will post! I already have a couple of pounds of glycerin soap, need to double check some MSDS' and get some bulbs for my exposure unit, but I'm excited to start!

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Dude! Have you seen the book, "DIGITAL ALCHEMY: Printmaking techniques
for fine art, photography, and mixed media" ? By Bonny Pierce Lhotka.

Would be right up your alley!

 

[unpopular]

I've seen it, I think i breezed through it in college. Haven't read it yet.

 

[Robert_Maxey]

I am about ready to start experiments with a new photographic process I have been designing on paper, which I have come to call the "Matrix Thermal Transfer Process".

The basic idea is that a soap or wax with a relatively low melting point is selectively restrained from transfer to a print medium upon application of uniform heat. To accomplish this, I plan to suspend pigmented soap within a dichromated gelatin matrix, areas exposed to UV light will harden and entrap the soap while areas left unexposed will remain free.

Soap is chosen due to it's water solubility.

When in contact with a printing medium and applied to heat and pressure, I predict that the soap within the unexposed region will melt and liquify, transferring pigment to the printing medium while the soap within the exposed region will be entrapped in the hardened gelatin, permitting the printing medium to show through white.

Any thoughts?

I might not understand what you are doing, but perhaps this will aid you. You need to learn Dye Transfer. No better color printing process. IT is also how Technicolor films were made. Technicolor IB is a basic dye transfer process. If you want, I'll send you a link to an acknowledged master of DT. HE makes his own matrix film, dye sets, mordanted paper and laser scanner for ultra-high resolution large negatives.

Essentially the same idea as yours, but no mess. Since you want to experiment, it will be perfect. You will need to make some matrix film, but that is no problem if you are dedicated.

 

[Trever1t]

DiChromated, as in Hexavalent chromate? What about waste?

 

[unpopular]

Yes. Dye Matrix is precisely where the idea comes from. Dye Matrix is *extremely* expensive and I think only Efke(?) makes the matrix film.

I was going to get into Dye Matrix a long time ago, but never did and ended up selling my film. But, I don't really see the mess, no more than candle making or soap making, which people routinely do as hobbies in the kitchen.

There are disadvantages to dye matrix aside from cost. While it is very permanent, but still not as archival as pigment printing and the matrix cannot be produced in a household darkroom.

 

[unpopular]

DiChromated, as in Hexavalent chromate? What about waste?

Solutions of ammonium dichromate, 5-10%, are diluted into the colloid. The environmentally appropriate thing to do would be to store waste and have it properly disposed of. A significant portion of the waste is chromium oxide.

Google Gum Bichromate process.

 

[Trever1t]

As long as you're planning on being environmentally conscious

 

[Robert_Maxey]

Yes. Dye Matrix is precisely where the idea comes from. Dye Matrix is *extremely* expensive and I think only Efke(?) makes the matrix film.

I was going to get into Dye Matrix a long time ago, but never did and ended up selling my film. But, I don't really see the mess, no more than candle making or soap making, which people routinely do as hobbies in the kitchen.

There are disadvantages to dye matrix aside from cost. While it is very permanent, but still not as archival as pigment printing and the matrix cannot be produced in a household darkroom.

Efke stopped selling it some time ago. Not sure if they will (or anyone else) bring it back. As I said, there are ways to make the film, but it takes a little work. there are a number of great DT printers that have very few issues except for finding the materials. I think any competent darkroom worker can make their own DT prints. Where people fail is in not matching the negatives, using bad dyes, and registration. Careful workers can learn it, however. And you do not need costly equipment, either.

 

[Robert_Maxey]

DiChromated, as in Hexavalent chromate? What about waste?

Solutions of ammonium dichromate, 5-10%, are diluted into the colloid. The environmentally appropriate thing to do would be to store waste and have it properly disposed of. A significant portion of the waste is chromium oxide.

Google Gum Bichromate process.

I'll assume you know this, but I'll say it: work with great care. The compound is a strong irritant and suspected carcinogen.

I love the chemical because of its ability to harden emulsions. I have tried things like making emulsions for photo-ceramics as well as emulsions for creating designs in glass. The emulsion was "rubberized" and the resulting rubber image resists the action of the abrasive etching airbrush.

just be careful.

 

[unpopular]

As always, safety reminders are appreciated. It's a nasty chemical, and is suspected to cause bone damage as well.

I've also considered using it as a resist in electroplating in various ways. one of the more interesting was to coat an anode with sensitized gelatin, expose and swell the gelatin with an electrolyte, then apply the cathode directly to the gelatin wet gelatin, and finally turn on the current.

I've also considered some way to use the chromate ion itself by suspending it in a non-peptide emulsion which won't harden and somehow depositing the ion onto the print itself.

 

[unpopular]

I will be doing some physical tests tomorrow for solubility and emulsion qualities for feasibility. I'll update here if anyone is interested.

 

[Derrel]

Have you seen this book? http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-rules-photo-media-cookbook/dp/0930810023/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

I would love to hear how the test images turn out.