How To Dry Black and White Fibre Prints If you're operating on anything remote approaching a budget then, like me, you probably either can't afford or don't want to shell out the bucks for a dry mount press to flatten your fibre prints. So, read on and learn how I do it. You'll need some fibreglass drying screens. They're not too expensive, and regardless of whether or not you're using a dry mount press, you should probably be drying your prints on fibreglass screens. They're relatively cheap, and they don't mark the print surface like clothes pins will if you hang your prints from a line to dry. So, after you've washed your prints, hold them up to drip dry. I don't squeegee. Then, place them face down on the fibreglass screens and leave them overnight. In the morning, the prints will be moderately curled. Not to worry, because here's where Grant's Home Made Flattening System comes into effect. What you need is pretty simple: two pieces of mat board to sandwich your prints between, and lots of heavy objects, preferrably books. Place your prints between the mat board, then start stacking books on top. The more the merrier. I leave small prints like this for about 24 hours. Larger prints for two days. At the end of the day or two, remove the books and take a look... flat prints! Works like a charm. It might take a while longer than a press, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper. Another important factor in drying your prints is paper choice. You'll have to experiment a little on your own here, but I've tried a few papers so I'll share my results. In general, a heavier weight paper will curl more as it dries. So double weight fibre papers like Ilford MG curl substantially. If you really want to get some great looking, nearly flat prints WITHOUT having to do any extra flattening work, I suggest you try Oriental Seagull. It's a double weight paper, but is definitely not as heavy as Ilford MG. The great thing about this paper is that it looks good and it dries nearly curl-free if left face down on fibreglass screens. This is a huge time saver. **** Update: 12/05/02 **** On second thought, if you can afford it, just buy a used Seal dry mount press. It'll save you a lot of effort, and in the long run it's just easier to press your prints. You can pick them up on Ebay at anywhere from $100 to $600, depending on size and condition. I ended up with a Seal 210M that will handle 16x20 prints. Believe me, it was worth every penny. Want to read some of my other Technical Articles?