Alum and Its Use as a Mordant

  I have been doing more reading online about eco printing-there is really allot of information about it both on papers and on cloth. It's really eye candy just to look at what the different artists have accomplished.

  As in natural dyeing there are so many ways to do it, everyone has their own ideas that work for them and many contradict each other-like what happens with many topics.

 In the past with my natural dyeing on fabrics I had learned there are two different alums used as a mordant-fixative. Many don't realize it, but then again maybe it doesn't matter. What ever we find that works we need to do that lol

   I have had excellent color fastness on cotton though by using aluminum acetate for cellulose-cotton. So I am going to use this one for my first eco print paper project.

  Reading, many just buy the alum at the grocery store-the one for pickle making which is called potassium aluminum sulfate. From Earth Hues the alum used for protein fibers-wool-silk is aluminum sulfate. I just read another article online for eco printing where the author said please stay away from the alum in the store or any alum that has potassium or ammonium in it since it is bad for papers.

  So I also dug out the few notes I took when I was planning on this project a couple years ago and the article I printed off says to use aluminum sulphate (the one for protein fibers) and she also says in this article not to use alum from the store.

 Many artists just use vinegar, but in my experience vinegar is not that colorfast over time.

Any of you that read this-any thoughts-if you are a dyer what do use?

   I am thinking I am going to go with what works well for me on fabrics so for my papers I am going to use the aluminum acetate that is the mordant for cellulose fibers.  
  Just a note Earth Hues is the only place I have found this mordant. Most like Dharma and others just call it alum

   I have been on the hunt for something to use as a steamer an also deep enough to submerge watercolor papers into simmering water. Too hot here to drive to the resale shops especially during the holiday-so I shopped a couple days online. and I found it!!! Of all places Wal Mart online and for free shipping they will ship to my local store.  It is a granite ware (like the canning kettles) rectangle roaster and it is 14" wide. I am hoping this is as nice as I imagine it to be--the reviews were all great except for the ones that came chipped-so I am going to inspect it good before I take it home.
   Hope to be eco dyeing in a few days-stay tuned lol

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.