The Carbon Transfer Print

Truly One of a Kind

A perfectly crafted carbon transfer print is perhaps the pinnacle of photographic printmaking. Perfecting the process of carbon transfer printmaking takes years to master and, as such, has limited the printmakers of this craft to only a mere handful worldwide. Because of the lack of demand for carbon printmaking materials, I have to make all the materials myself in my studio and darkroom. Each sheet of watercolor paper has to be gelatin sized, I have to mix and pour every photographic emulsion and, as such, every single print has its own characteristics, depth, and soul.

Archival Stability

Unlike other digital inkjet and dye-based photographic techniques of today, carbon transfer prints are extremely lightfast and will resist fading under UV light for many hundreds or thousands of years. This is due to the pigments I have chosen for both my color and monochromatic images. In most of my editions, synthetic cyan, magenta, yellow, and orange are used, each of which have Lightfastness values of Excellent+ and Blue Wool values of 8, ensuring there will be no fading for many generations, even when exposed to direct, intense UV light. I also only use the highest quality, thick, pH neutral watercolor papers to ensure the longevity for the final support of the print.

Exclusivity

Being that there are a handful of carbon transfer printmakers worldwide, and even fewer color carbon printmakers, purchasing one of my carbon prints guarantees uniqueness amongst other photographs available. Even more so than other alternative processes such as my collection of platinum palladium prints, carbon transfer prints are enormously challenging and expensive to make.

A Work of Art

Today, a photograph can be replicated time and time again at the press of a button with an inkjet printer. A carbon transfer print is not just a photograph - it’s a work of art. Each one of my prints takes weeks or months to create. Every image you see in my collection is a film exposure that I develop, drum scan, post process, proof, and print. My hand is involved in every single step, and because it is a handmade process, every print will have its own unique soul and character that is unlike any other photographic print on earth.

The Printmaking Process

Creating Emulsions

Traditionally known as carbon “tissue,” these photographic emulsions are only sensitive to ultraviolet light. Rather than working in pure darkness or under red light, as you would see in a traditional gelatin silver darkroom, I work under dim amber light. Each emulsion is a mixture of gelatin, sugar, and pigment, which has to be heated and carefully poured onto a sheet of synthetic paper and dried before it can be exposed and developed. To ensure color replication from my film transparencies, I work in a five-color system, versus the traditional four colors. By adding a layer of orange to my prints, I can extend the amount of replicable color tenfold and ensure the accuracy of the final print.

Making Temporary and Final Supports

Watercolor paper off the shelf doesn’t have the ability to support the carbon print on its own. Because of that, I have to use varying recipes of gelatin, matting agents, acrylic, and albumen to prepare the supports for the carbon print. Each sheet of watercolor is individually selected for its weight, whiteness, and texture to support the image. Too much texture or too smooth of a texture can make or break the final image. For most prints, I use hot pressed 300lb Fabriano Artistico, Arches Aquarelle, Saunders Waterford, or Lanaquarelle paper for their unique and individual characteristics.