Arista.Edu Ultra FB VC paper aka Fomabrom Variant

I didn't find much info before I ordered this paper other than its a rebranded version of Fomabrom Variant VC FB so I thought I'd post up my experiences from the first box I cracked open the other day. This is the FB glossy version and i use dektol 1:3. I don't do much testing or anything but I like knowing what my paper will act like so hopefully this helps someone else out down the line.

Unlike a few posts I read on some other forums, I can get the full contrast range out of it from around grades 0-5 on it using the enlargers colour filters.
The base is neutral, especially when compared with some Agfa MCC prints I had nearby. I remember a post by the owner of Fotohuis on photo.net stating that this paper is a good replacement for Agfa MCC but I definately disagree. It is much more neutral and it almost makes MCC look like a warmtone paper.

It comes out of the wash with green shadows that most VC papers get in dektol but it quickly dissapears after a dunk in kodak selenium at 1:9. At about 3 minutes a purple / eggplant hue in the shadows is visible and at about 3:30 is perfect for most of my prints. I left a print in there for 20 minutes just to see what it would look like, and it takes it too far, a dreadful purple, nothing like the slight eggplant you get at about 3 - 4 minutes.

I'm pretty happy with it, especially since it's base is neutral. I don't really like the cream coloured base I used to get with MCC for a lot of my prints.

having said that, anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to try to get a warmer, reddish shadows out of it? For certain prints I would like warm shadows but not over the top like a warmtone paper. I am going to try Selenium at 1:3 but something tells me it will still be eggplant / purpleish.

I'm glad to hear you like this paper because I purchased a box also but haven't cracked it open yet. As far as warming it up a bit you might try a little Potassium Bromide in the developer. Don't know if it will give you the degree you are looking for but it might help.

Actually, upon closer inspection under even lighting, this paper does look pretty close to MCC. I know thats a big statement compared to what I said in the post that it makes MCC look almost warmtone, but I was looking at the MCC under totally different lighting. So yeah, this paper does look like a close replacement for MCC, although it is slightly lighter in weight.

rtuttle said:

I'm glad to hear you like this paper because I purchased a box also but haven't cracked it open yet. As far as warming it up a bit you might try a little Potassium Bromide in the developer. Don't know if it will give you the degree you are looking for but it might help.

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thanks for the tip.

i might as well post and let you know that the drydown on this paper is about 7-8%, hopefully will save you time.

Thanks for that tip!! I can put that into my stabilizer and save some time and paper!! Best of luck.

Arista EDU ultra paper/Foma

I have been developing mine in Dektol also but I get nuetral shadows the only time that I have gotten the green is with Forte and Bromophen.
its great paper at a great price

My son used the RC version for his college photo class and I found it a bit to warm for my liking so I added some Benzotriazole to the Zone VI developer I use. That gave it a nicer tone. He also used the .edu Ultra 400 speed film developed in Rodinal which I found to be too grainy for 8x10 enlargements. Maybe it needs a finer grain developer? Looks like it would be much better suited to 5x7. I'll have to try a sheet or 2 on my cold light with a 4x5 negative to see if the paper looks better. I don't care for resin paper much anyway. I did like Agfa MCP though.

ronlamarsh said:

I have been developing mine in Dektol also but I get nuetral shadows the only time that I have gotten the green is with Forte and Bromophen.

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I definately get green with Dektol at 1:3. Like I said it quickly dissapears after selenium, maybe your using a different dilution? Its hard to notice if you dont compare to a truly netural print.


I just started printing some 11x14's and I've got some weird fogging at the edge of a couple sheets. It really doesn't look like something I did, as the slight grey area on the edge is cut and straight, my safelight doesn't fog, I have no light leaks plus I usually print at night, and my easel covers everything but the image area so I can't figure out what it is. I think it may be like this out of the box. Also, every sheet I've developed has had some weird black lines, really small and always out of the image area (i print full frame and leave large margins). It definately isn't me because I just single tray process and absolutely nothing touches my prints except for my wet fingers when I hang them up to dry. for the price, If I was paying full price for Foma I'd be choked. I'm gonna call Freestyle next week and see what they can suggest or do.

I thought I'd update this thread with some new info on toning with this paper for anyone who might search the forums. I know I would have appreciated it, info on this paper is scarce.

I went looking for a toner that would give me brown tones; I tried Kodak Sepia II bleach and toner and got more yellow than I wanted. The smell was terrible and I made the mistake of doing it in my unventilated darkroom - the smell was putrid.

I just today tried some New Agfa Viradon. I tried direct toning at 1:24 at about 20 degrees for 20 min. All I got was a very unexpected shift towards purple, almost exactly as if I had toned with KRST at 1:9. Perhaps not much deepening of the shadows as compared to KRST, but a definate eggplant and if someone had shown me the print without telling me what they toned it in, I would have definately said selenium. I had never heard of a brown toner giving purple tones!

I then tried some half strength bleach from the Kodak Sepia II kit I had sitting in a bottle. I bleached the second identical print for 1 min 30 seconds until the highlights and midtones were mostly gone and then washed and put it in the Viradon for about 15 minutes. After a quick wash the print is a deep reddish choclolate. Definately more of what I was looking for but too over the top. The print is overall a bit lighter from the bleaching but not overly so, I think maybe 4-5%. Contrast is about the same. I was looking for a subtle shift of the shadows, I think I bleached for too long even with the bleach at half strength. Am I correct in assuming that after bleaching toning time doesn't really matter, because it will go to completion?

I've got a print I'm making for a contest - a dusty road snaking through the grasslands in late summer. I'm going to try bleaching for about 30 seconds tops and then toning in the viradon for about 10-15 minutes to try and get a subtle warm brownish - red.

The smell of the new viradon isn't as terrible as the Kodak Sepia II, but the rotten egg smell is still there and is still pretty gross - next time I'm going to do this on my porch, I stunk up the entire house again and had to leave the doors and windows open.