What I have decided to do is simply show the results of my gums, as I print them, layer at a time. This will at least offer up some idea of how the process unfolds and what that might look like. I built a second printing frame for gum printing, which is very easy to do, and I will show how I do it. To begin, I would offer a look at the simple printing frame that can be made fairly easily and cheaply.
I have found it expedient to simply buy an artist's easel board made of a fairly heavy Masonite, with cutout for a handle, as seen in the drawing. It comes as an 18"x18" easel board, and being it is dedicated to printing an 8x10 gum I cut the top 4" off to have a 14" glass plate fit top to bottom. I use a 3/16" piece of glass to ensure there is no flexing when holding down the negative. I am looking for very flat compression evenly distributed over the entire area.
As the dotted line indicates, that is how I attach the glass to the board, using two inch wide reinforced packing tape, with the threads running through it. It is basically a hinge mount tape job, just the width of the glass. I use two or three layers offset a bit for best hinge results. The final piece of the printer frame is a simple metal clamp bought at a hardware or art supply store. Simply clamp the glass to the frame at the closed end at the bottom. A simple printing frame.
Paper preparation consists of three stages;
Hot water soaking for pre-shrinking the paper. This is a very important step. Do not shirk that duty. The water should be 120 degrees, soaking the each sheet for at least thirty seconds. One minute would be better, the problem is keeping the water hot through more than one sheet.
Sizing; I size using a 2 1/2% solution of Knox Gelatin at 110 degrees, soaking the paper for the same thirty seconds to one minute.
Repeat the sizing a second time, same % solution at the same temperature.
Paper; I prefer to use Arches 140# Hot Press watercolor paper. The prints I am making now are on Fabriano 140# Hot Press watercolor paper. The texture is different, with the Fabriano a bit more textured on the surface.
For a good percentage of my gums I begin with the black layer, using Gouache black. That maximizes the black base representing Zone 1 and some Zone 2, based upon personal choice. When printed in just right, the image will look like a sort of faded black and white image, a sort of framework of the image. The print time and float time are the two tools you have for controlling the print image, how much will be pretty much permanent and what will wash off in a short float time. For me, the float time shouldn't exceed five minutes.
Other tools of gum printing is warmed water, soft water spray through a controlled valve and a very soft brush for touching areas just enough to remove gum without losing the image. Slight agitation also increases the floating affect, removing gum.
First coat of gum; black
The image has begun to fill in to about Zone 5, leaving the shadowed areas as well as some of the middle tones with the black base. The print time for this layer was 7 minutes, just enough to fill in the tonal range up to about Zone 5. The next layer will be Magenta, and the print time will be increased to about 10 minutes to fill in the upper tonal ranges. Not too much Magenta, which would then mix with the next Yellow layer and become Orange. Some is good, as Orange and the next layer of Cyan (blue) will then become Brown. This is subtractive color theory. What is important to note is that the upper tonal ranges are not yet printed in.
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