I would like to use some FB paper. My problem is that when I dry it It curls itself into a big mess. I dry my RC prints with a clothes pin over the tub. ( very lo tech darkroom! ) I tried blotter paper, Sandwiching between phone books and a hot iron. Nothing seems to give me a acceptablly flat print. I was thinking of a electric print dryer, ferrotyper. I figgured on asking someone before buying.

-- Rico Paolino (epaolino@quad-sys.com), April 22, 1998

Answers

I use a econd-hand, very old, electric dryer. Before I got it, two other methods worked well:

- peg then up, back-to-back, so the two prints stop each other from curling;

- slap them on the tiled bathroom wall, so the emulsion side dries first, and the suction aganst the wall stops the curling.

-- Alan Gibson (gibson.al@mail.dec.com), April 23, 1998.

We have a commercial rental darkroom here in Ottawa which has a hot mount press for hire. I store my prints in an old print paper cardboard envelope which flattens them out somewhat. When ready to mount, I put each print into the hot press for a couple of minutes. The prints come out perfecly flat. After they cool off, I apply the mounting tissue and mount them straight away onto mat board for display.

-- John R. Fowler (cpci@fox.nstn.ca), April 25, 1998.

I dry prints on drying screens (4 for $38 form Zone VI/Calumet or for somewhat more money from Kostiner) and flatten them in a large dry mounting press at low temperature. This works extremely well.

-- Michael D Fraser (mdfraser@earthlink.net), April 26, 1998.

Thanks for the response! I think Im going to get the electric dryer, which should give me a less curled dry print and after that get the prints mounted, my local framing shop has a mounting press.

-- Rico Paolino (epaolino@quad-sys.com), April 28, 1998.

Yup, it curls. I use a non-functioning (therefore free) dry mount press. Before I got that, I'd use books.

-- Nancy Friedberg (friedbrg@pacbell.com), May 03, 1998.

The fiberglassed windows screens are the absolute best for drying fiber based prints. After washing, place the prints surface up on a CLEAN, CHEMICAL AND SUBSTANCE free hard FLAT surface. Wipe the surface water off with a clean cloth or print free paper towel. Then, turn the print over and repeat this on the back of the print. Be sure to wipe the hard flat surface dry when turning the print over to hand dry the back. Then lay the print face down on the taunt screens letting them dry without the use of forced air. If you need to speed up this process, purchase a small de-humidifier and place close to the drying area. you will never have completrely flat prints, but this is the most effective method I've found. After the prints are dry, consider flattening them further in a heat drymount press sandwiched in between two acid 1\8" mount boards.

-- Bryant Haynes (themark1@airmail.net), March 18, 1999.

The fiberglassed windows screens are the absolute best for drying fiber based prints. After washing, place the prints surface up on a CLEAN, CHEMICAL AND SUBSTANCE free hard FLAT surface. Wipe the surface water off with a clean cloth or print free paper towel. Then, turn the print over and repeat this on the back of the print. Be sure to wipe the hard flat surface dry when turning the print over to hand dry the back. Then lay the print face down on the taunt screens letting them dry without the use of forced air. If you need to speed up this process, purchase a small de-humidifier and place close to the drying area. you will never have completrely flat prints, but this is the most effective method I've found. After the prints are dry, consider flattening them further in a heat drymount press sandwiched in between two acid free 1\8" mount boards.

-- Bryant Haynes (themark1@airmail.net), March 18, 1999.

To Bryant's answer, I would add that placing a second fiberglass windowscreen on top of the face-down prints seems to help, too

-- Nancy Goldstein (nfayegold@earthlink.net), April 25, 1999.