Current status of Fomatone 532-II - availability and lith compatibility?

Tom Kershaw · Feb 7, 2019

I've just started doing a few lith prints again, working with some stocks of Foma 532-II which provides great results but I'm not sure whether this paper is still available and / or responsive to lith developers in its current iteration? It is still listed by various UK dealers, eg: https://www.ag-photographic.co.uk/fomatone-nature-532-95x12-50-1034-p.asp - If I'm not able to get more stocks I'll probably just keep the paper to one side for special projects.

Tom

R.Gould · Feb 7, 2019

I have just had the latest news letter from Tim Rudman, and according to it there is a new Foma paper out Fomabrom 113BO, which is intended for Lith and bromoil, it is mainly for the US market, but could, I suppose, should be available for import from suppliers in the USA
Richard

lantau · Feb 7, 2019

532-II is the one with the chamois/cream base, isn't it? I used it for a batch of prints and fell in love. It looks like an offset print without raster. I love the surface and the yellowish tone really suited my scenes of 30 year war reenactment.

Unfortunately they don't make it, and it's white base sister at the moment. I have left some of both.

As far as I heard the last batch, quite a few years old, didn't lith. They already weren't making more 532 when they had fixed the lith problem.

Let's hope they will make another batch at some point.

I haven't done lith yet, but it's on the list. Had the Easylith chemistry for two years now...

R.Gould · Feb 7, 2019

lantau said:
532-II is the one with the chamois/cream base, isn't it? I used it for a batch of prints and fell in love. It looks like an offset print without raster. I love the surface and the yellowish tone really suited my scenes of 30 year war reenactment.

Unfortunately they don't make it, and it's white base sister at the moment. I have left some of both.

As far as I heard the last batch, quite a few years old, didn't lith. They already weren't making more 532 when they had fixed the lith problem.

Let's hope they will make another batch at some point.

I haven't done lith yet, but it's on the list. Had the Easylith chemistry for two years now...

Fomatone MG Classic 532 II is the Nature which is the white base, the Chamois is 542 II, and according to the Foma web site they are still being made, no mention of it being dis continutued,

Tom Kershaw · Feb 7, 2019

R.Gould said:
Fomatone MG Classic 532 II is the Nature which is the white base, the Chamois is 542 II, and according to the Foma web site they are still being made, no mention of it being dis continutued,

The situation seems a bit confusing as there are some references to discontinuation on the forums from last Autumn (2018).

lantau · Feb 7, 2019

The Foma webshop has only leftovers. The way I read it is that they haven't officially discontinued it, but they are not making it at the moment.

Of course if Amazon made a firm order for 50 masterrolls cut down to various sizes for global sale they may well start the coater.

Lachlan Young · Feb 7, 2019

lantau said:
The Foma webshop has only leftovers. The way I read it is that they haven't officially discontinued it, but they are not making it at the moment.

Of course if Amazon made a firm order for 50 masterrolls cut down to various sizes for global sale they may well start the coater.

More like guaranteeing the investment needed for 20 tonnes of custom paper base that's different from the regular smooth baryta used for gloss & matte. I'd like to see them doing something more along the art300 approach with a mould-made paper base - not least as the minimum quantities for manufacturing are massively lower.

adelorenzo · Feb 7, 2019

532 and 542 both lith well (or "semi-lith" depending on who you ask). Both are alas also discontinued.

542 is my favorite paper for lith that I've used to date. I just bought up a couple of boxes of the last 20x24 I could find to try to finish a project.

Tom Kershaw · Feb 8, 2019

The only other paper I've had success with lith printing is / was Fomatone MG 131; but of course this product doesn't have the white base.

Tor-Einar Jarnbjo · Feb 8, 2019

R.Gould said:
according to the Foma web site they are still being made, no mention of it being dis continutued,

The Foma web page still lists products, which haven't been available for several years. About a year ago, I managed to buy a few packs of 542, but I haven't seen the paper anywhere on stock since then. The 532 paper can still be found here or there in a limited number of sizes, but if anyone is keen to keep using it, I would use the chance now and buy whatever is available. I would not expect new batches to be manufactured.

Current status of Fomatone 532-II - availability and lith compatibility?

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