New experiments

I have been experimenting with the new alternative sensitiser to dichromate this week and I have to report that Diazidostilbene CAS2718-90-3 aka DAS is a fantastic way to make carbon transfer prints. My new workflow no longer requires the tedious sensitizing procedure of spirit /dish sensitization of the carbon tissue.
I now simply take a piece of my pre- sensitized carbon tissue from 24 hours ago and make a stunning carbon print.

My first experiments followed the 0.6% DAS formula that was simply added to my carbon pigment and then coated
using my normal technique. The only key difference here was that I had t prepare the glop and coat in red safelight, other than that everything else is the same. When the tissue paper has dried it can be handled in low wattage tungsten lighting.

The first image that i made with DAS was of one of my all time favourite 8×10 HP5 negatives cropped to a 4×10 inch proportion. The exposure needed using my mercury vapour UV lamp at 2.5ft was a stop more than with usual potassium dichromate sensitiser. The development was exactly the same revealing a delicate silver birch landscape within 10 min at 42 degrees celcius. No dichromate stain to clear any more the print developed clean.

I will test the same batch of DAS paper in 7 days, 14 days and 28 days using the same exposure to see if the tissue is reacting the same over time.

Hope this encourages more people to invest in Diazidostilbene sensitizer as a easy work flow non toxic safe alternative greener way to make beautiful expressive carbon transfer prints.