I'm interested in trying the Gum Bichromate process, but would prefer not to size the paper myself. Are there any papers that are ready for this process out-of-the-box?

thanks,
bob k.

I'm interested in trying the Gum Bichromate process, but would prefer not to size the paper myself. Are there any papers that are ready for this process out-of-the-box?

thanks,
bob k.

Bob,

If you mean pre-shrunk and gelatin sized and hardened, none that I know of.

How about 2 out of 3? :)

I think Katherine Thayer says she doesn't do anything but preshrink to her papers. She's found sizing not necessary.

I think Katherine Thayer says she doesn't do anything but preshrink to her papers. She's found sizing not necessary.

when doing one of my college projects(tricolor: gum over cyanotype) I worked mainly from Sam Wangs article on unblinking eye and followed Katherines process fairly closely for the gum portion and it worked well. I used preshrunk Arches Platine (hot water for about 30 mins) and didn't see it as a problem.

i'm not sure where I picked up that sizing was not nessesary but it may be to do with the fact that the cyanotype goes on first.

You can get a couple coats on Fabriano Aristico without sizing. For this paper don't pre shrink in HOT water. Really hot water removes the sizing put in by the paper manufacturer. Papers like Aristico, that are reasonably size-stable, only need a 30 minute soak in room temp water for a pre-shrink.

Sizing isn't a difficult or dangerous step. It will improve your highlights (how clean a white you can get).

You can get a couple coats on Fabriano Aristico without sizing. For this paper don't pre shrink in HOT water. Really hot water removes the sizing put in by the paper manufacturer. Papers like Aristico, that are reasonably size-stable, only need a 30 minute soak in room temp water for a pre-shrink.

Sizing isn't a difficult or dangerous step. It will improve your highlights (how clean a white you can get).
Tom's comments are exactly on target in my experience. For me I don't like the look I get using unsized paper, including the highlights as Tom mentioned.

it is one of the big step of gum printing. if you planed to do multiple layer sizing shrinking are steps to have in your process.

thanks for the info everyone!

bob k.

I think Katherine Thayer says she doesn't do anything but preshrink to her papers. She's found sizing not necessary.

Sorry, I missed this thread earlier.

That information above was taken from an earlier version of my website, written when I was routinely printing tricolor gum on unsized Arches Aquarelle with never a stain. (Example: the apricot print on my main page:

http://www.pacifier.com/~kthayer/

Then Arches changed and didn't print well unsized, and I experimented with different papers and sizes for a couple years before settling on my current favorite, Arches bright white sized with gelatin hardened with glyoxal. A couple of years ago, I started updating my website, which project keeps getting put on the back burner, but I did upload an updated page reflecting my current printing method several months ago.

http://www.pacifier.com/~kthayer/html/method.html

At the same time I also uploaded a new page on sizing, that reflects my thoughts and observations on sizing:

http://www.pacifier.com/~kthayer/html/size.html

The problem with setting out answers to questions about specific papers is that papers are always changing, so you never know how long a statement about paper is going to be operational. And then there's just the Gum Anomaly Principle that what works well for one person might not work at all for someone else, and vice versa. Sorry I can't be more definitive, but like many things in gum, the answer is... it depends.
Katharine

I did a class about 4 years ago with a guy in Chapel Hill NC named Alan Dehmer.

If memory serves me right, he sells pre-coated paper. He does it himself.

His website is http://www.woodsedge.net/