Topic: A solar print experiment...

[Francois]

I don't know if you all remember but a few weeks ago I put my hands on a stash of cheap photo paper. Some packs were good while others were exposed to light.
I had a box of 100 sheets of paper that I asked for ideas on what to use it for. Well, today was incredibly sunny so I just did an experiment with it.
I took one of my pictures and printed it on an acetate at my local Staples and then proceeded to put it in a printing frame with one of those sheets of paper. I removed the whole thing before it got really dark brown and scanned the produced print.

And now I look at it and don't really know what to think about it. This is probably because I wanted this to work so badly...

I didn't realize that you can see every single artifact from the xerox machine multiplied by 10...

Anyways, opinions?

[jharr]

Use a good inkjet print (photo quality) and make a waxed paper negative for contact printing. It is actually more transparent to uv light than acetate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Fo8seMrFo

[Francois]

I might do that next time but I'm wondering if it's worth it...
The density range offered by the photo paper is pretty low and there's no way to keep the image on paper permanently without scanning.

[astrobeck]

I like it, artifacts and all!
It would make cool origami paper or small gift-wrapping paper.
Or you could make a bunch and wallpaper your walls....

I think if you think outside the "I want it to be a photo" box, using it as art paper might make you happier than you are right now.

Yes?

[limr]

I like it, artifacts and all!
It would make cool origami paper or small gift-wrapping paper.
Or you could make a bunch and wallpaper your walls....

I think if you think outside the "I want it to be a photo" box, using it as art paper might make you happier than you are right now.

Yes?

Oh, I like that idea! Use it as art paper rather than a photo. I'm envisioning the background of a collage or emulsion lifts...

[charles binns]

Francois

To be honest it was an interesting experiment but I don't think you will get any decent results solar printing.  Why not give solargraphs a go?

[LT]

I like it. Very LO-FI.

[Francois]

Francois

To be honest it was an interesting experiment but I don't think you will get any decent results solar printing.  Why not give solargraphs a go?

I guess my only answer to that would be either laziness or impatience...

As for the lo-fi look, it's defined nitely crude looking.

Next step will probably involve waxed paper negatives and a step chart so I can make some type of printing adjustment curve.

One thing that surprised me is how even the tones were. No blues and greens like in a solar graph.

[SLVR]

Can you not use a film negative or positive? Apart from the size, is the copy machine a must? I have some old paper that was gifted to me so I figure I may as well waste it up. Either that or it'll end up as fire starter or toilet paper.

[jharr]

I find the idea of a 35mm contact print intriguing. There is something about tiny prints where you have to get up close or even look through a magnifying glass. It is the whole 'hidden world' mystique. If your paper is long enough, you could do a whole strip of related images with edge markings and sprocket holes.

Aw crap. Now I'm all itchy to go make solar prints.

[Kai-san]

Could it be used for making rayographs? Invented by Man Ray who put different objects directly on top of the paper and exposed it to light.

[Francois]

I can't do rayographs per say since the paper is already exposed to a nice deep black...

But I did do a second try this afternoon but this time using an inkjet print that I waxed with paraffin (tea light candle and blow dryer).
This is a 10 minute print, but this time I printed the image as a negative and had the wisdom of adding a printed step wedge to the print.
Now, this gave me a really surprising result. After 50% density, everything is faded to black. So I have less than half the usual contrast range to work with.
It also allowed me to make a special contrast curve to adjust before printing.

When I adjusted the levels to get a decent looking scan, this is what happened: living psychedelia!