Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => The Wet Darkroom => Topic started by: rclab on February 25, 2008, 02:29:37 pm

Title: Seperating emulsions from backing
Post by: rclab on February 25, 2008, 02:29:37 pm

Hello,

I'm attempting to separate the emulsion from a silver halide print from it's backing in the hopes of mounting it on various other backings, perhaps even stretching it and I was wondering if anyone knew of any techniques for doing so.  I've heard of it being done before but just don't know how.  

Thanks

Jason

Title: Seperating emulsions from backing
Post by: petermarrek on June 16, 2008, 01:12:20 pm

I used to canvas mount Ilfochrome and B&W prints for many years, it was necessary to laminate the print with a perforated film to strengthen the emulsion, then it was possible to start lifting the emulsion in one corner and peel it back. Wrapping the emulsion around a 1 inch dowel and rolling it made it easier to do large prints. Mounting was usually done in a heated vaccum press using a thicker than normal adhesive or glue.

Title: Seperating emulsions from backing
Post by: Kirk Gittings on June 16, 2008, 01:29:43 pm

Are you talking about removing a print from a mat board or the gelatin from the paper of the print? Museums consider the later process to be absolutely the last straw to save an image from a deteriorating support because it oftentimes does more harm than good.

Title: Seperating emulsions from backing
Post by: Greg Lockrey on June 18, 2008, 04:10:37 am

Many years ago the was a product made my a company called Admeco or Admenco that used a clear perforated laminate that was applied to a print and then peeled off with the emulsion that was then applied to another substrate like canvass. I don't think that they are in business any longer, but I could be mistaken. They also manufactured a heavy duty press that used a wheel to lock down the platen. Perhaps any clear laminate would work if you had a way to adhere it to the substrate.

Title: Seperating emulsions from backing
Post by: blansky on June 18, 2008, 10:50:50 am

I did hundreds of color prints and mounted them on canvas a number of years ago. We didn't use any laminate but instead just peeled the emulsion layer by using your thumb on a corner of the print and started peeling back the emulsion layer about an inch.

Then as described above used a 1 inch dowel or piece of electrical conduit which was  a bit longer than the diagonal of the print. You take a small piece of masking tape and tape the backing to a table, lay the conduit diagonally across the print face up where the emulsion is peeled and tape the back of the emulsion to the conduit with another small piece of tape.

Then you roll the conduit away from you with a steady even pressure and the emulsion peels off of the backing. Make sure the taped down backing stays fastened to the table while you're peeling.

Then you carefully unroll the emulsion off the conduit, and we dry mounted it to coated canvas (with glue attached) and voila.... a canvas print.

Michael