I'd like to hear if anyone has any suggestions on inexpensive methods for faster drying of FB paper. I've recently started using FB more frequently and would like to be able to see what my prints look like dry a little faster. My space is also limited and I've little room for more drying racks. I recently tried a blotter book, but found that the waxy side sticks to the gloss on my paper. What about those inexpensive thermostatic (I think that's it) dryers? How long do they take to thoroughly dry a print? Any negative aspects?

-- Fred Schmidt (driko@ix.netcom.com), September 23, 1997

Answers

I use a couple of them on very low heat & I have a half dozen canvas covers for them & keep them very clean so I don't get chemical contamination problems. They work & you can generally pick up a used one at swap meets. Don' use at high temps or they will ripple your prints, but on low they work very well & prints dry virtually flat.

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), September 24, 1997.

Okay, they work. But approximately how long does it take to dry 8X10 or 11/14 prints on doubleweight?

-- Fred Schmidt (driko@ix.netcom.com), September 24, 1997.

I still have not found anything as good as blotter rolls. Unfortunately, no one seems to make them anymore. I have a couple of old ones, and a couple I've bought at old camera stores getting rid of ancient inventory. The prints come out clean with a backward curl that straightens, leaving them flat with no curling at the edges. Nothing ever gets creased or sticks, as with a rotating drum dryer. Does anyone know of where they can be purchased now?

-- Andrew Kleinfeld (kleinfel@alaska.net), January 08, 1999.

Like Mr. Schmidt, I'm curious to know how quickly FB prints can be dried with a thermostatically controlled electric print dryer (basically a heated metal sheet with a canvas stretched over). I like the look of FB papers, but blotters are inconvenient for me. Do speed, flatness, and surface finish make an electric dryer a worthwhile investment for occasional (once or twice a month) FB printing?

Ricky Cox

-- Ricky Cox (rcox@radford.edu), March 29, 2001.