What You Need to Know About Gum Bichromate Photography Processing
Once you take a look at a 19th century, hand-coated, contact speed photographic process then it is being referred to as gum bichromate. It is here where the paper is coated with a light-sensitive chemical that is mixed with gum Arabic and pigment. Once this is done, it will then be exposed to ultraviolet light. It important that the negative that will be used will be the same size as the final print. The print will then be developed using tap water. Once you will be opting for this process then it is the one that can do various kinds of chromes like monochromes, duochromes, trichomes.
This process will be able to offer a wide range of expression. It is this one that can even cater to prints with normal photographic tonality. It will also be able to do it with a near-photographic detail and high-contrast graphics effects. This is also the process that can create effects like that of silkscreen prints and moody impressionistic photos.
The process of gum bichromate is the one that uses light-sensitive chemicals. Most of the time, it is ammonium or potassium dichromate that will be used. Once these chemicals will be exposed to ultraviolet light, it will make the gum Arabic harden. The hardness that it has will depend on the amount of light that has passed through it. Once the print will be placed in water, the soluble gum Arabic that encases the pigment will gradually float away especially the ones that were not expressed to enough light to make it harden. What will be left is an image of the pigment that is encased in hardened gum Arabic.
Once this process will be done then it will be able to provide a number of advantages. One of which is the permanent color that it is able to offer. This can be done as long as the permanent pigment will be chosen. This is considered to be better than the medium photographic process that is done these days. Another great thing that you are also able to get from this process is that it offers printing flexibility. That is why it is the photographer that will be able to do their own expression. It is also them that will have unlimited color choices. Another thing is that they will have that sense of satisfaction in creating an art form with a unique appearance.
Once you take a look at this process then it is more forgiving compared to any other photographic prices out there. Once you will experience overexposure or underexposure and color imbalance, it is you that can correct it without the need to throw the print away. The gum bichromate process is also the one that doesn’t need any darkroom. The reason for this is that the whole process is done using ordinary cloth. The negatives can be made through a digital process. Another thing about this one is that the materials you will need to do the process are inexpensive. This is true socially if you compare to with other materials used in the post-processing methods.