A q for ILFORD/ HARMAN Simon Galley

Leon · Apr 26, 2007

Why, oh why cant i buy my favourite ILFORD papers in square format? I shoot square and I mostly print square, so I waste much paper.

I'm sure I'm not the only one here who feels this way.

Petzi · Apr 26, 2007

Leon said:
Why, oh why cant i buy my favourite ILFORD papers in square format? I shoot square and I mostly print square, so I waste much paper.

I'm sure I'm not the only one here who feels this way.

You could buy a roll and use a paper dispenser.

Thomas Bertilsson · Apr 26, 2007

Buy larger paper, like 20"x24" and cut them into 10" squares. You waste a little bit less that way. You can still use the final strip for printing post cards.
Or how about making 8" squares from 16x20". You still end up with a 4" strip, but it's one you can use if you're so inclined.

- Thomas

Thomassauerwein · Apr 26, 2007

When I cut paper down I use the excess as test strips.

Jerry Basierbe · Apr 26, 2007

Thomassauerwein said:
When I cut paper down I use the excess as test strips.

Exactly. I've been cutting 16x20 down to 10x10 and using the left over as test strips.

Jerry

pentaxuser · Apr 26, 2007

Leon said:
Why, oh why cant i buy my favourite ILFORD papers in square format? I shoot square and I mostly print square, so I waste much paper.

I'm sure I'm not the only one here who feels this way.

Leon. Early days as yet in terms of number of replies but it looks as if you may be the only one who feels the way you do. Well not the only one. I have mentioned this a couple of times and we even had someone with the temerity to suggest that as 35mm was 1:1.5 then maybe 5 x7 paper could be 5 x 7.5.

He too got short shrift.

There was presumably once a market for square as Agfa used to do 10x10.

We have the paper sizes we do as a result of history apparently. We had black Ford cars as well due to similar reasons but even Henry got over that.

It's a funny old game as Jimmy used to say.

pentaxuser

Moopheus · Apr 26, 2007

pentaxuser said:
We had black Ford cars as well due to similar reasons but even Henry got over that.

"You can have paper in any format you want, as long as it's 4x5."

Leon · Apr 26, 2007

I also use the spares as test strips - BUT, I always end up with a box full of test strips and no full sheets. I'm a bit suspicious of using paper from one box to test strip for another because of any (probably imagined) batch differences. SO I still waste a load of paper - square would suit me better. a 12x12 would be perfect.

Mick Fagan · Apr 26, 2007

Leon, Ilford manufacture 10x10" MGIV paper. I know this as I saw it about four weeks ago in my local camera shop.

I also remember using boxes and boxes of this paper years ago when working in the lab.

Cat No. 1770603 is what it says on the outside of an empty box in my darkroom.

That is for glossy, I think they also do it in Pearl.

Mick.

Leon · Apr 26, 2007

Mick Fagan said:
Leon, Ilford manufacture 10x10" MGIV paper. I know this as I saw it about four weeks ago in my local camera shop.

I also remember using boxes and boxes of this paper years ago when working in the lab.

Cat No. 1770603 is what it says on the outside of an empty box in my darkroom.

That is for glossy, I think they also do it in Pearl.

Mick.

Mick - is that RC?

Mick Fagan · Apr 26, 2007

Leon, yes it's RC.

I now see where you may be coming from if you use non plastic coated paper.

Mick.

Fintan · Apr 27, 2007

I asked Simon ages ago for square fibre. But he wasnt optimistic.

12"x12", 16"x16" would be excellent

markbb · Apr 27, 2007

You can cut any of the ilford paper sold in the UK into 1" squares.

Matt5791 · Apr 27, 2007

I tend to find for every square negative I print square, there is one I crop to a rectangle, os for me rectangular paper is not such a problem.

What I would like is 8.5 x 10.5 and 12.5 x 16.5 etc etc - when I print up wedding shots for customers I find I have to let them know that there is a 1/4 inch loss from all sides - I know this is normal and all albums allow for this with their overlays, but nevertheless it would be nice to be able to finish up with a full size photo in 8x10 etc, from a regular easel.

I know it wont happen though because it would just start to become silly with the number of sizes around, and I'm sure not cost effective to produce and pack.

Matt

Leon · Apr 27, 2007

markbb said:
You can cut any of the ilford paper sold in the UK into 1" squares.

Mark - I refer you to previous points regarding wastage. :rolleyes:

markbb · Apr 27, 2007

Leon,
you aren't thinking laterally - why not try reducing images to 1" squares.

nicolai · Apr 27, 2007

I'd love square paper.

Akki14 · Apr 27, 2007

If you look on Ilford's product list, they do have square paper but it's apparently a special order thing in most shops.

okay I thought it was on the product availability list but maybe not. it's a long list to trawl through...

Simon R Galley · Apr 27, 2007

Dear Leon,

We do make square paper, it is still made in RC, primarily for the aerial survey market, in all honesty the market is now very, very small and would not justify another SKU, also, it would be an almost impossible sell in to a reseller in terms of TPA ( turns per annum ).

Very sorry....and as an FYI I am away in the Far East on a business trip until 8th May, so I will not be able to dip into APUG very much.

Kind Regards

Simon. ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

Mick Fagan · Apr 28, 2007

Hmmmmm..... the far east. Australia is, along with New Zealand, the far east.

There is a big photographic happening in Melbourne next weekend, PMA Australia, May the 4th to the 6th. (PMA = Photo Marketing Association)

I know that Ilford's Australian distributor, CR Kennedy, have a 12x12m stand.

I'm going, even though much of the stuff there is for industry and mainly electronic.

Maybe Simon will be there?

Mick.

Bill Dobbs · Apr 29, 2007

Getting paper to fit negative formats has been an ongoing peeve of mine for some time. I shoot 35mm and find getting paper in 1:1.5 format to be difficult and/or expensive. I hate cutting down 11x14 to 8x12 and have to special order roll paper for a premium price. I've always wondered why paper is produced in formats that don't match the negative format, or why it is so hard to get roll paper for a comparitive cost. I empathize with Leon and share his views, albeit for 1:1.5 instead of 1:1.
I hope the paper manufacturers are listening, because in a shrinking market (evidenced by increasing difficulty in purchasing product) survival can depend on servicing customer's needs.
In particular, I would greatly value a resin coated multigrade paper in 11x16.5, pearl or satin finish, in packages of 100. I wonder if Ilford would be interested in floating out a few trial boxes for comment?

Chazzy · Apr 29, 2007

Bill Dobbs said:
I would greatly value a resin coated multigrade paper in 11x16.5, pearl or satin finish, in packages of 100. I wonder if Ilford would be interested in floating out a few trial boxes for comment?

Well, 5x7 paper isn't that far off, so the request for just one larger size in a more elongated format seems a reasonable request to me. Apart from the miniature format people with their teensy-weensy negatives, there are also a lot of folks using panoramic formats in 120 and sheet film. I hope that Ilford obliges you with a test of the paper you request.

jstraw · Apr 29, 2007

Bill Dobbs said:
I hate cutting down 11x14 to 8x12...

Why not cut it down to 9.33x14?

Thomas Bertilsson · Apr 30, 2007

OK, let's see here. How many formats do we have?

6x9 MF & 35mm - 1:1.5
645 MF & 6x8 MF - 1:1.33
6x6 MF - 1:1
6x7 MF - 1:1.16
4x5, 8x10 & 16x20 LF - 1:1.25
5x7 LF - 1:1.4
11x14 LF - 1:1.27

So paper manufacturers need to make paper for all of these people (I know there are more formats)?

Almost everybody have to trim their paper one way or another. Is it a waste? Yes. But how can you justify carrying paper that suits all of those formats? Inventory - dead wood - can kill a company.

- Thomas

jstraw · Apr 30, 2007

When printing 4x5 on 11x14, that extra 1/4" drives me mad. I want Ilford to make me some 11x13.75

A q for ILFORD/ HARMAN Simon Galley

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