The testing for an optimal platinum/palladium (Na2) print is pretty much complete now, with enough test comparisons to show me that the best print out of all the testing, was the original. The whole point of this was to be able to use the Solar Printer (UV) for printing, for obvious reasons, today be a perfect example. The final test strips were printed outside in sunlight. First off in full sun, then moved to north light printing, when the dark clouds obscured the sun, dropping the north sky reading from 500 lumens to 200 lumens in a matter of minutes. Relying on such light for printing exhibition work is not optimal. Not only was the printing time using the printer consistent, but using the same negative I use for Kallitype printing, with the platinum solution at 2.5% (2 drops), with a 20 minute print time. That digital negative got a <curve> adjustment I created for the Kallitype. it's a fairly dense curve adjustment.
The print times today in north light were 17 minutes, to leave a good zone seven on the white picket fence boards, and zone 6 on the concrete slab just underneath. That's the objective of that print image. The printer version also leaves much better tonal separation in the middle tones, showing on the wood of the wagon. The tonal separation mentioned is even a bit better than in the print image below, a palladium toned Kallitype. With said toning that print is now a palladium print. This print is the baseline image I'll be using for the Pt/Pd Na2 prints to come. The image has to be at least as good as the toned Kallitype version. The next posting of this image will be a Na2 platinum/palladium print.
Palladium toned Kallitype
"Wyatt Earp's Wagon" ~ 8x10 ~ 1/5
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