Dry press
The dry press used in the classic analogue photography to dry the paper prints upon completion of chemical development processes in the photo lab . In addition to shortening the drying time compared to air-dried paper images, a high-gloss surface can be created with suitable photo papers. Since the classic development of photo paper, especially in the amateur and semi-professional area, has largely been replaced by photo printing , the spread of these devices has decreased significantly. Dry presses are used by philatelists to dry stamps that have been detached from envelopes or the like by soaking them in water.
The most common types of dry presses consist of a heating plate or heating drum on which the wet paper pictures or stamps are placed and pressed with a stretched linen cloth. Matt photo papers are dried with the layer side up. Glossy photo papers are placed with the layer side down on a chrome-plated metal foil or a stainless steel base. Before the actual drying process, the papers must be freed from excess water, which is usually done by squeezing them with a rubber roller.
Electric drying presses for postage stamps usually have heating plates made of stainless steel and are also covered with a stretched linen cloth. An alternative is the dry book .
literature
- Werner Wurst: Darkroom Practice . VEB Fotokinoverlag Leipzig 1979, license no. 110-2107320 / 79, pp. 78-79