Old processes such as Vandyke, Platinum and Cyanotype have been around for many years but only dedicated fine-art use them. The convenience of modern materials and the need to make from raw materials are perhaps two reasons why working professionals and regular enthusiasts don't.

Dr Mike Ware, a chemist who happens to be a committed photographer with an interest in the old processes, has for a number of years carried out valuable research on them. In 1991 Mike developed a new process based on the old 19th century processes such as Vandyke, and so the Argyrotype was born.


Argyrotype is a single solution sensitizer which makes brown silver prints on plain artist's paper and, to coin a computer phrase, is more user-friendly than the old processes and should result in better graduated and more lasting images. The sensitizer is coated on to the paper and put into contact with a negative, preferably large format, and exposed to ultra violet light. Coating can take place in a subdued light, preferably tungsten and when exposed the development can take place in normal room light.

The exposed paper is then developed in plain water, fixed in a very dilute solution of plain hypo crystals and then washed in running water. When dried you should have a rich brown print which can be toned, hand coloured or just left as a straight print. Again I set off to the little darkened room which, just for a change, did not need to be quite so dark as usual.

The Argyrotype Kit is manufactured and marketed by Foto-speed and consists of 50ml of the sensitizer which is sufficient to make 120 5 x 4" prints, hypo crystals, two glass rods for spreading the sensitizer, 5 sheets of paper and various other items required to make your first Argyrotype. A comprehensive instruction leaflet which covers every aspect of making a print together with a list of the materials and equipment required is also supplied.

THE METHOD

Coating the Paper
There are two main methods of coating the paper, either by brush or glass rod. I used both methods and found that was little difference in the end result. The paper should be taped to a sheet of glass to hold it firm while coating and about 0.5ml of the sensitizer is dispensed along the paper at the width that the print will be. The glass rod is laid on to the sensitizer and then drawn down the paper to the length that the print will be. This action is repeated several times until the sensitizer is used and is smooth across the whole area covered. It is recommended that an area slightly larger than the final print size be covered in this way. When using the brush to lay on the sensitizer the end result will be the same but the edges can be left uneven, which seems to be fashionable these days. The paper is then dried either by air or using some form of heater or even a hair dryer.

The Negative
Because exposure is by contact it is necessary to use a larger format negative and never an original. Therefore, you will need to make a fairly contrasty copy negative from any size original because the Argyrotype is a very soft process. The instructions give various methods of doing this which are not too difficult or expensive. I have used both Kodak Direct Duplicating Film, which is quite expensive, and lith positive contact printed on to Ilford Delta Pro 100, which is relatively inexpensive. The resulting negatives were used for this test and I am happy with the results from both methods.

Making The Print
The negative is put into contact with the dried sensitised paper using a contact printing frame or if this is not available, a clip frame which can be obtained from a local art shop.

It is essential that the paper and the negative are held in firm close contact during the whole exposure time. To make the exposure the frame is then either laid on an ultra violet light box or just laid in the sun during which time it is necessary to inspect the image to gauge the correct exposure. This is quite easily done for the sensitizer gets darker with more exposure and the image can be seen through the glass of the frame. Clearly, the first few exposures are a matter of guesswork but you will soon be able to judge times dependent on the density of the negative. Generally, I found that the sun was about twice as fast as my ultra violet light box which has six 15 watt tubes as a light source and takes about 12 to 15 minutes to give enough exposure.

Development, fixing & washing
Once exposed the paper is then placed into plain running water for about 5 minutes although I have used trays and given two or three changes. This is followed by a 3 minute immersion in the fixing bath and finally a 30 minute wash. The print can then be dried at room temperature or by applying heat from a dryer or fan heater.

The Results I made prints using both methods of exposure and feel that the sun prints appear to be crisper and a warmer brown in addition to being shorter exposures which I have already mentioned. I also coated the paper using both brush and the rod method and obtained identical results in that the sensitizer was equally smooth and no brush marks were evident in the final print other than the ragged edges around the image. Clearly, if brush strokes are desired in the final print that would be easily achieved simply by omitting to smooth the final coat in one direction which is the method that I chose to use.

Once a print has been washed it is possible to tone it using blue or sepia or most other toners on the market. I toned one in Fotospeed Blue Toner which works very well. As with all toning it is necessary to experiment with all combinations to find a result that you like.

Toning and Contrast Comparisons
UV Lightbox Example
Brush Application
Recommended Technique

CONCLUSION

Making prints using old processes is fun and can be very creative. Expensive equipment is not required if, for example you do not use a light box and rely on the sun. Beware of this though as you may well limit your opportunities of making prints to the 15 to 20 days of sun that we get each year. Some of my prints could be described as sun/rain prints as it did rain during one session that I had. Seriously, you do not need direct sunlight, only the ultra violet part of daylight is required to make prints.

In addition to the Argyrotype kit, Fotospeed plan to manufacture a number of old processes including, Cyanotype, Platinum and Palladium. I will look forward to experimenting with them and hopefully emulating some of the old masters who made some of the most outstanding images in the history of photography when using the old processes.
Les McLean

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