Formula 140
Formula number 140 in the ole Darkroom Cookbook is a nice basic paper coating solution.
a sensitizer for all seasons
The recipe makes like enough for three years, and well - I usually move more often than that, so I've started making up 8oz or 250ml amounts. Why 250ml? It's the amount that my handy-dandy amber Boston bottles hold. It's also convenient that it doesn't cost a month's salary in silver nitrate to mix up a smaller amount. Ahh to be a darkroom nerd in the 90's when silver was cheap.
My scaled version of warm printing out paper sensitizer
- 21g Ferric ammonium citrate, green
- 3.5g tartaric acid
- 8.75g silver nitrate
- 250ml of distilled water
I originally made up around 100ml of this to save on silver nitrate. By goodness, 100ml lasted a year. I just finished off my first batch and it has been as good as the day I mixed it the whole time.
I've coated a bunch of different paper types with this.
Right now, I've got a batch of mulberry fiber paper drying that I'll be printing with 5x7 litho negatives this week.
More to come