David and Ailsa (and anyone else this concerns.)
Please send those cards, imperfect as they are. I know I'm no McClean but I can print better than what I've just sent. To echo David, this is about having fun and communication.
Cheers

Martin

Has anyone sent or received postcards that were 4x5s on regular fiber-based doubleweight paper? I just joined the postcard list and will be on the next update, and was considering doing a run using regular doubleweight paper.

A while back, I combined a route 66 road trip with a test of my newly-acquired Crown Graphic and shot b&w polaroids at as many stops as I could, handwrote the postcard stuff on the back of the polaroid, slapped a stamp on it and sent it home. They all came through flawlessly, but granted, I wasn't sending them internationally and polaroid is a bit thicker than doubleweight paper. Sure was fun, though. Now I've got postmarks from our roadtrip as well.

Has anyone sent or received postcards that were 4x5s on regular fiber-based doubleweight paper? I just joined the postcard list and will be on the next update, and was considering doing a run using regular doubleweight paper.

I just hate that Ilford RC postcard stock. I've been searching for postcards onto which I can dry mount Azo prints, and I think I've found them. Strathmore makes them out of heavy water color paper (140#) and they're pretty inexpensive. I got mine at Pearl (http://www.pearlpaint.com/pearl/pearl-store-locations.html).
The attached jpeg is what the package looks like. The package of 15 cards was less than $5.00.

They also sell blank Strathmore note cards with envelopes made from the same 140# watercolor stock. It's a lot more work, of course, but I've made some beautiful cards with both products. I'll be sending out the next batch in about a week, all dry mounted on the postcards.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=146570&is=REGLook for something like this. No ned to dry mount. It is ready to go once you back the AZO. You may to trim it a bit to fit your picture. Scott did this several times.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=146570&is=REGLook for something like this.

The link doesn't bring up a product. Maybe they've discontinued? Searches on 'postcards' and 'post cards' were fruitless.

Go to B&h's web site and do a search for postcards. I think it is the last one. It is an adhesive backing that makes any paper you use looke like a postcard. It adds weight and strength to the orginal paper.

C6H6O3 said, "I just hate that Ilford RC postcard stock. I've been searching for postcards onto which I can dry mount Azo prints, and I think I've found them."

I have used postcard stock for inkjet printers that I drymounted the images to to stiffen them up. PITA but it works great.

lee\c

Go to B&h's web site and do a search for postcards. I think it is the last one. It is an adhesive backing that makes any paper you use looke like a postcard. It adds weight and strength to the orginal paper.

Here's the Link (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=146570&is=REG)

I have used postcard stock for inkjet printers that I drymounted the images to to stiffen them up. PITA but it works great.

I use the Strathmore watercolor paper because it's beautiful. I'm not really interested much in convenience.

a little OT but...

I was helping my mother clean out a heap of junk last weekend and came across a shoe box full of old postcards (she correctly said that they weren't junk, unlike the rest of the stuff... 8088 mainboards, cassette tapes of computer programs, photocopied manuals of '80s computer games!). They are from late 1800's thru mid 1900's (I think... there were many and I didn't go through them all... will do that next visit) and were correspondance to/from family members (not that I could read the writing.. I had to get her to decipher). However, the real interesting part for me was the pictures on the postcards. A variety of B&W photo's, hand coloured photo's and drawings, most were in good condition.

As a follow on to this... one day, hopefully, someone is going to pull out my collection of YOUR postcards and browse through wondering where they all have come from, and why! :)

Where can I locate the list here now? Probably just missing it, but can not find the link to the post card group.

Thanks,
Mike

http://www.apug.org/postcards/

The whole fam just returned from what was supposed to be a quick flight up to Oklahoma for breakfast, but weather crept into north Texas before we came back, and it kept us there for a day and a night.

When we returned, I had a postcard from Nige waiting in my mailbox. Happy mail! Dianna and I talked for a good while about what exactly the subject was and are guessing that it's a waterfall about 4-5 feet tall. I'm guessing the 4x6 postcard is either a contact print from a 5x7 neg, or a a projection print/enlargement with very little enlargement going on.

What I love most about it is the composition, smooth textured highlights in the water (I'm guessing about a one- or two-second exposure?) and the rough textured darker tones and shadows.

I see one area on the bottom right where highlight detail is lost, and one area near the upper middle of the print where it's gone to the lower zones. (boy does that sound ominous! :) ) I'm curious if there's detail in those two areas that Azo would have caught. I notice the postcard was made on Ilford Multigrade IV RC Portfolio.

The first time I send out a postcard, I'll probably use Ilford MG IV FB. What's the aesthetic difference between the two papers?

Thanks Nige, for a beautiful print to kick off my collection of APUG postcards. It's inspired me to get a bunch of those cork tiles and dedicate a section of wall in my upstairs finishing/scanning/server room to APUG postcards. I'll just have to take steps to see that the lighting does them justice, then I can drag all our guests up "to the mountaintop" to see what quality fine-art printing looks like.

This postcard exchange thing is a wonderful idea. Is it done a lot, and maybe I just haven't heard of it, or is this a pretty unique thing?

It occurs to me that this'd be a great thing to do when teaching kids photography: hook up with a "sister school" on the other end of the same country or in another country and make the object of the class or club to exchange analog process postcards they produce themselves, maybe with Holga or Dianas or some such.

-KwM-

Hi Kevin, good to hear you got the postcard. Couple of answers to questions/thoughts you've posed! I happen to have that scanned (from the neg) at http://unite.com.au/~u3819a/gallery/images/water03.jpg so others can refresh their memory with a click :)

Have sent that card to a number of people and some were straight prints, the last few I attempted to dodge that dark area in the middle. When I got it right it showed a little detail. I must have sent you one of the early copies by the sound of it. I usually print a few extra cards so that I've got a few on hand to send out to newbies to the list. I'll have to have a look at the neg see if the lost highlights can be printed down a fraction but there is probably room for improvement during printing there. When picking a neg to print for postcards, I try to pick one that won't need dodging and burning, but usually end up tinkering slightly (we're sending these to fellow, critical photographers after all!)

The waterfall was a little smaller than your guess, maybe 2-3ft. Exposure was longer, either 4 or 8secs... I'll have to look at my notes (at home) for complete details. It was shot on a Mamiya 645 with 150/4 lens (I think), can't remember the film (can check notes for that too)

The Ilford postcard paper is pretty much std RC (available in Pearl or Glossy) on a slightly heavier base. They call it 'Portfolio' to distinguish it a bit. You can't buy a FB version so would have to print on cut down pieces, or maybe send 5x7's. There's no specific requirement to have the back printing but you can also buy stickers formatted like that. Somewhere up in this thread are references to them. All methods have been used! I use it for it's simplicity! They cards can get damaged in the post so that final bit of asthsetics that FB brings might be lost once it's been bent, rollered, stickered and barcoded, but (IMO) that's part of their charm.

Hi Nige - is it still possible to get on the postcard sending list? I tried to send an email to nigel@apug.org but it got bounced.

cheers John.

for the record... my waterfall pic was Mamiya 645, FP4+, 150mm, 8secs @ f16 developed in Ilford LC29

Good news to all on the postcard list. After months of rangling and hassling I have finally managed to get a regular spot back in my rented darkroom. So I will prioritise a large batch of postcards in the near future.

The irony of the whole fiasco is that I had to become a volunteer worker on the nights I want to use the rooms,in case anyone else wants to rent, and in compensation I don't have to pay.

Phill

It's a pity you have to work when you play.;)

Don't know who's postal service has done it, but they came with a barcode of sorts stuck on the image side! I'll probably leave them as is for a authentic 'been posted' look, but could probably soak it off (almost looks like someone has tried scrathing one off

I know that this is an old thread, but the USPS prints both a barcode on the front and an ID tag on the back of mailpieces. You will have a very hard time getting it off. I know, I work for the USPS and repair/service these machines.

You may want to put the postcard in a regular envelope so you will have a clean copy. It does defeat the purpose of using postcards though....

The barcode and cancellation are part of the postcard ethos, so I don't mind them. We have print exchanges for fine prints.

I once proposed that participants try and see if they could use the barcode in a composition, and I think it was Donald Miller who came up with a negative of a long snowfence in a field that mirrored the barcode beautifully.

I have gotten maybe 3 postcards since the first of the year. I was just wondering what the viability is going to be once there is no more postcard stock from Ilford?

Aggie, some people have sent cards that have been std paper. However, it has slowed to a trickle, probably time to flush the list to those that really want to participate. I think we should re-confirm our interest. What's people think...

for the record, I've sent 131, recieved 91 (not including your mega 'farm' posting)

I have gotten maybe 3 postcards since the first of the year. I was just wondering what the viability is going to be once there is no more postcard stock from Ilford?
Stock up now there is plenty in the shops - I think! :(

Haven't found any in NZ yet :(.

I'm getting seriously behind in the postcards - the summer has been far too hot for printing. It's getting cooler now, as well as rainy. Hope to have a new batch sent out this month...