B&W enlarger paper for beginner

I need some direction for an enlarger paper for a beginner to learn with.

Buy the cheapest RC you can find. Choose a grade 2 or a grade 3. Begin honing your film Exposure Index and developing time so your normal negs print well on that paper. When you learn what you are doing with your film, film developer, and paper, you can fine tune your printing with other grades, paper developers, or VC papers.

Barry,

John's advice is great. If you use regular variable contrast resin coated paper, but without the contrast filters, it will be about a grade 2 paper. That's a pretty normal contrast paper, and a good thing to work with to get your film development right.
If you learn how to shoot and develop your negatives so they print well on a grade 2 paper, and get a feel for what you need to do in different lighting situations, you'll be very well off in your printing later on. It will really help you understand the dynamic that exists between negative contrast and paper.

- Thomas

First start with 8x10, smaller can be tough to judge, larger is more dollars. Use RC until you get technique down. 8x10 RC is also what you will use to make contact prints with.

Go to freestyle, they have advertise here, and look at the VC RC in 8x10, I like the Arista II, good quality and better price.

Thomas Bertilsson said:

Barry,

John's advice is great. If you use regular variable contrast resin coated paper, but without the contrast filters, it will be about a grade 2 paper. That's a pretty normal contrast paper, and a good thing to work with to get your film development right.
If you learn how to shoot and develop your negatives so they print well on a grade 2 paper, and get a feel for what you need to do in different lighting situations, you'll be very well off in your printing later on. It will really help you understand the dynamic that exists between negative contrast and paper.

- Thomas

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*****
Gosh, I wish I had written it as well as that!!

Go to Freestyle and get some Arista.EDU Ultra papers. Get at least a 100 sheet box of the 8x10 variable contrast, resin coated paper and a set of variable contrast filters. No joke. That's a good size, and the most economical way to do it. If you want smaller prints, fine. You can cut 8x10 down to yield four 4x5 sheets with no leftover waste, or three 4x6 or two 5x7 sheets with a little left over for test strips.

I fail to see how locking yourself into a fixed grade paper can teach you anything useful. If you want grade 2 or grade 3, you have it with variable contrast paper. Simply use the appropriate filter. If you want or need something harder or softer, it's there too. Granted, your aim point is to produce negatives that print well at around grade 2, but isn't it nice to have the option if needed?

[ Granted, your aim point is to produce negatives that print well at around grade 2, but isn't it nice to have the option if needed?[/QUOTE]
*******
That shall always be obtainable, Frank; but the tendency for the newbie is to get slopping around in the darkroom playing with contrast when the new learner should gain the inuitive knowledge, feel, or what E. Weston called the ability to "see photographically." I maintain that is best done by sticking to one grade of paper--or, as Tom mentioned above, VC paper sans VC filter. Since most of us manage to make most of the mistakes possible in the early part of the learning curve, keep it simple. VC paper can too easily be an early crutch, when the noobs should be learning to walk, so to speak. I might add, as a matter of fact, I first learned printing on a VC paper---Dupont Varigam, without filters. It was a great paper, was it not, Frank?

A question from another noob...do all variable contrast filters work with all VC papers, or do you have to use for example Ilford filters with Ilford papers?

BetterSense said:

A question from another noob...do all variable contrast filters work with all VC papers, or do you have to use for example Ilford filters with Ilford papers?

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23 Jan 2009

BetterSense:

You can use any of the VC filters with any of the VC papers. However, you may not see as an extreme contrast range when the paper and filters are made by different manufacturers. Moreover, many if the VC filters are "speed matched" meaning that the exposure time should not change (within limits) when the VC filter is changed (within limits, usually grade 0 to 3). The magazine PhotoTechniques had an article about this very question not to long ago. It noted, and my experience verifies, that Ilford filters used with Ilford paper give the most linear and predictable results.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Darwin

What finish...glossy, matte, pearl?
What about #2 "graded" RC paper...that does not say anything about VC like this Arista EDU Ultra RC Glossy Grade #2 8x10/100 Sheets? Matte is also available.

I would (and did) start with Ilford VC RC in Pearl. 8x10. It's not that expensive and you'll get the hang of it quickly.

I started, last year, with some RC grade 2 paper. I just didn't understand the whole VC thing initially. RC is good for beginning just because it doesn't require 1hr wash times, you can produce more, faster. When starting out the increased speed of RC processing increases how fast you can tackle the learning curve. Eventually I invested more time in learning VC and started printing that too though I still use graded paper sometimes. Then I got a decent print washer and started on fiber prints and also started split grading on VC. All in about a year. My point is, I think a lot of the advice here is valid. Starting without the concern of VC filters and working into the complexity of more intermediate or advanced printing techniques is a greeat way to start. However, I disagree with the "stick with the basics until you can make it sing" mentaility. I say start easy and go wherever your curiosity takes you at whatever pace you feel comfortable. Who cares if you use a "crutch" if you use it to make great prints?!

I polished what little skill I had with Ilford MG RC Glossy - I did most of my buying in the UK and whilst not the cheapest I appreciated its consistency and ease of use. I started learning printing in the mid 70s and started with Ilfobrom. It was really frustrating getting it do dry flat. When I bought my first box of RC (Ilfospeed) I thought I was in heaven with the ease of processing. I have never tried any of the papers from Freestyle so my own recommendation would be Ilford MGIV RC. Not the cheapest but in my experience very consistent in its handling and performance.

Does the finish matter? Gloss, matte, pearl? What do the grades mean?

Gloss, matte, pearle (which I think is the same thing as matte), are a matter of preference. The only technical difference I have ever heard is that using glossy paper in a pinhole camera can result in unwanted reflections. Personally I prefer matte, pearle, or satin finish to glossy finish.

The 'grades' are the contrast rating of the paper. From what I understand, higher grade papers have more contrast than lower grade papers. Multi-contrast papers can use special filters (sold seperately) to behave like different grades of paper depending on what filter you use.

stradibarrius said:

Does the finish matter? Gloss, matte, pearl? What do the grades mean?

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Finish is a matter of taste, I prefer semi-matte or pearl, glossy is ok. My only experience with matte is with fiber base and it seems to dry down (get darker as it dries) and the shadows block up. I'm sure others can better prints on it better than I, I've just avoid it for the time being.

Grades refer to to the contrast of a paper. Grade 0 is very soft contrast (most values being grey) and grade 5 is very hard (moset values being either black or white with less middle ground). Grade 2 is considered normal. It seems sort of odd at first, but as a rule of thumb high contrast negatives print better low contrast grades and vice versa. Variable Contrast or VC paper actually has a combination of two emulsions on it. A low contrast emulsion that's sensitive to yellow-ish light and a high contrast one sensitive to purple light. You get a filter set and can print anywhere from gade 00 to 5 on one type of paper.

One thing not mentioned about the paper surfaces is their effect on how deep a black you can get. Glossy paper gives you the blackest black. Matte paper gives you the least-black black. I tend to prefer glossy paper for this reason. However, with some photographs a different paper surface can result in a nicer image; the reflections can occasionally be distracting. I recommend you start with glossy paper, but try other papers once you get comfortable, and see what you like.

stradibarrius said:

Does the finish matter? Gloss, matte, pearl? What do the grades mean?

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The surface doesn't really matter. It's more up to your personal preference. But you will get a (perceived) deeper black with glossy surface and a somewhat "duller" black with matte surface. (This has all to do with the way light reflects from the surface as the emulsion is the same regardless of the surface choosen.)

Grades: There is basically two types of paper when it comes to grades. Fixed gradation and variable gradation. Let's start with fixed gradation, which means that the paper "gives" you a certain contrast. These contrast levels, grades, are often called "soft", "medium" and "hard", so depending on the paper you choose you can get a "soft" (meaning a picture with lots of gray), "medium" (well... not that gray) or normal and last "hard" (meaning black deep shadows and pure white highlights).
The basic idea is to try to match your film development to make your pictures on the normal/medium grade of paper. This is also what the recommended starting film development times from the manufacturers are aiming at.
VC paper (VC means "Variable Contrast") does have two layers of emulsion, one soft and one hard. These two layers react to different color of light, where the hard layer is more blue sensitive and the soft layer is more green sensitive. You can then control the paper grade with a color filter, so that you can match the contrast of the negative to the print. These filters comes numbered from 00 in half steps to 5 (13 filters in total), where "normal" is at grade 2. The same basic idea that you should try to develop your negatives to print nice on grade 2 apply. If most of your negatives indeed does print nicely on grade 2 you will have a lot of leeway with those "not so perfect" negatives.

The tip of using a fixed normal grade paper, or only using the grade 2 filter with VC paper in the beginning is a very good tip. If you try this, you will learn how to make good prints and also (by neccessity) how to develop film which suits your way of working.
Apart from this, there is a wealth of information at this very place where the search-function will provide you with everything you need to know and then some.

//Björn

Very good answers! Now it is beginning to make enough sense to strat to know how to move forward.

SAFE LIGHTS

Graded paper is sensitive to blue light only. A high
level of yellow to orange safe lighting is possible
with Graded. Very easy to see and work with in
a not so dark darkroom. Dan

stradibarrius said:

Does the finish matter? Gloss, matte, pearl? What do the grades mean?

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Glossy is very shiny, like a polished mirror, matte is very flat and can appear dull, pearl or semi-matte are a cross between the two, there are also other finishes that have texture, these should be avoided unless your trying to do something special.

Glossy has the best detail, but also shows all imperfections in the print, matte will show most imperfections but is also easiest to retouch. The other finishes can hide some imperfections like small dust marks, very slight focusing errors, etc. One key point, the same paper in a different finish can require a different exposure time and different contrast grade to produce the same result. If you have trouble with getting high enough contrast in a matte or pearl finish paper, then a glossy paper will often help. If you have trouble with too high contrast on a glossy paper, then using matte will often help. I like Ilford's pearl finish, and used that most often.

Graded papers tend to be rated from 0 which is very soft to 5, very hard, grade 2 is normal contrast. If your print looks dull then you want a higher grade of paper, if it looks very black and white with few mid tones, then you want to try a lower grade of paper.

Multi grade or variable contrast papers contain three emulsions, each is equally sensitive to blue light, and differently sensitive to green light, by varying the ratio of blue to green light you get a different contrast. Typically paper manufacturers have a set of filters that accomplish this, that run from yellow (red + green) to magenta (red + blue). One advantage of variable contrast papers is that all grades are available, along with half grades, where with graded papers, some grades are very hard to get, B&H one of the largest retailers in New York lists only a single grade 1 paper and no grade 0 papers on their website.

I recon that the question "Why not only VC paper then?" may surface. So, back in the -70'ies there was only graded paper, until I think it was Ilford that released their Multigrade paper. This was an instant hit in the darkrooms and the quality of the product have increased to where it is now. It's of course very convienient to have only one box in every given size instead of 3 or 4.
Now, while there are some tricky negatives which really does benefit from using VC paper with special techniques, there are many printers who like graded paper better. This is for artistic reasons. It may be the color cast of the paper or emulsion. How does it react to a certain toner etc. Highlight and shadow rendering...
Personally I use only VC paper when it comes to RC paper, i.e. when I make a first print of a negative. If I want to work with a certain negative I aim to make the final print on fibre paper, which I think is nicer. Some of my fibre paper is "old style" graded paper, because of the special qualities each and every box holds. (These qualities differs from brand to brand.) In short, most of my printing paper is VC paper for convienience, regardless of being fibre or RC paper. Sometimes I use a fixed grade paper for some special reason or quality of that particular paper, not because it's "better", just because it suits my needs right there and then.

//Björn

70'ies! I bought my first box in the late 50'ies. Dan

dancqu said:

70'ies! I bought my first box in the late 50'ies. Dan

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Yes, but I recon it was neither Multigrade nor RC.

//Björn