Altering National Geographic magazine pages with the natural cleaner, CitraSolv, is always rewarding and unpredictable. CitraSolv's Valencia Orange, which is an organic degreaser made from delimolene (an ingredient found in orange peels) causes a chemical reaction with the highly pigmented inks and clay-based coating used on the paper. If you want to experiment with this, I offer the following information to help obtain dramatic results.
1) Use only Nat Geo's post 1990. Be sure and remove all the advertising pages in the front and back of the magazine. Once you have reached an article with literally NO ADS, you will be at the starting point.
2) The key is to "juice up" the magazine pages with just enough CitraSolv to alter the inks. I like to use one of those old pointy-topped ketchup bottles (NOTE: Do not leave the CitraSolv in this plastic container or it will leach out). Generously sprinkle the CitraSolv across two pages, then turn the page, and repeat throughout the entire magazine.
3) Once the entire magazine is saturated, use a brayer to push inks from edges toward middle.
4) Let the magazine sit for at least an hour before pulling pages apart.
5) Please do this outside or in a well ventilated area - CitraSolv has a very strong aroma.
6) Dry pages (area in above collage to the left) are achieved by letting the magazine sit overnight.
7) For pages with a lot of text, use newspaper to off load some of the black ink by blotting.
8) Open and close pages several times to alter the pattern of the ink movement.
9) Blotting wet inks with bubble wrap can give really cool effects.
2) The key is to "juice up" the magazine pages with just enough CitraSolv to alter the inks. I like to use one of those old pointy-topped ketchup bottles (NOTE: Do not leave the CitraSolv in this plastic container or it will leach out). Generously sprinkle the CitraSolv across two pages, then turn the page, and repeat throughout the entire magazine.
3) Once the entire magazine is saturated, use a brayer to push inks from edges toward middle.
4) Let the magazine sit for at least an hour before pulling pages apart.
5) Please do this outside or in a well ventilated area - CitraSolv has a very strong aroma.
6) Dry pages (area in above collage to the left) are achieved by letting the magazine sit overnight.
7) For pages with a lot of text, use newspaper to off load some of the black ink by blotting.
8) Open and close pages several times to alter the pattern of the ink movement.
9) Blotting wet inks with bubble wrap can give really cool effects.
