no transparencies

[MearlH]

Instead of transparencies i want to use tracing paper and ink to make my color separations. I was having transp. made but can never find someone that can provide really large ones and quilting them together was a pain in the arse. So i was going to do my final outline image on decent drawing paper and then oil it up and use it last to burn after i have separated colors on large run of the mill tracing paper. Then burn using the tracing paper separations. I am wondering if anyone has done this and if the results are good. I have poor fiscal priorities (i buy alot of fancy cured meat products, cigars, ice cream, corndogs, vending machine goods etc.) and as a result am a cheep bastard and transparencies are too pricey for me these days. Any insight on this method or problems, past experience would be appreciated, now if you excuse me i must go spend money i dont have on meaningless crap.

[mikeage]

Why not just print on bond and oil that up?
If you're going to draw straight on paper and then oil it you might want to test a small sample to make sure the ink doesn't run or lose detail.

[MearlH]

Why not just print on bond and oil that up?
If you're going to draw straight on paper and then oil it you might want to test a small sample to make sure the ink doesn't run or lose detail.

I think i will, was gonna oil the backside of the paper and hope that works. I just revamped painted my light table aka "The Charles Bronson 2000" to correct some issues and spiff it up a bit and will do some test runs after its dry. I just was hoping the tracing paper would work. I dont have very good computer and usually do everything oldschool (like pre christ old school) and also tend to work very large so i will have just have to run a test image thru and see what the results are. thanks for the comment.

[mikeage]

if the paper is translucent enough like vellum or some tracing papers don't oil it. just adjust your exposure time.
most paper when oiled it goes right through. if it doesn't then it won't make it translucent and it defeats the purpose.

[{LG}]

if the paper is translucent enough like vellum or some tracing papers don't oil it. just adjust your exposure time.
most paper when oiled it goes right through. if it doesn't then it won't make it translucent and it defeats the purpose.

That's a good plan. I've heard of wide format textile printers, like beach towel printers using belt machines for example, using nothing but thin, affordable papers instead of film and without oiling. I'd wager you'll need to sacrifice a few screens to the testing process and I believe that a dual cure (diazo added) emulsion with lots of 'latitude' will be your best partner in emulsion for this. I'd expect a longer than usual exposure too.

If you just need wide transparencies, 17x22 is probably the biggest sheet size and they're available up to 62" wide on the roll. Not trying to plug anyone but most of the 'waterproof' (milky looking) types are just rebranded versions of what they sell here.

[Andymac]

make sure your drawing medium is BLACK.

when we have done exposures with paper,(no oil) the time is 3x the time for regular film. (that's with a few diff dual cures, all mostly the same)

I like the frosted mylar they use for drafting, with a bit of tooth. It will pick up most drawing media better than clear film, and exposes better than paper. You can buy that shit in 3-4ft rolls.

[MearlH]

Thanks, I am only oiling the original drawing (it is ink on regular drawing stock that i just tested a scrap peice and it seems that it will work) The color seps will be done with the tracing paper and those will not get oiled just used like transparecies to burn my layers. The hang up is that I had to put a lift ring around my exposure unit because the glass only sat about an inch above the bulbs and that created some wierd banding. I lifted it so now it stands about 5-1/2" inches above the glass. But still got to hone in my exposure time. Unit has 8 f30 blacklight lamps so thinking it should only take 1 minute or so to expose not sure. Have a lot of dialing in to experiement with, ontop of the whole tracing paper idea.