Does RC paper have silver in it or pigments?

Andrey · Nov 1, 2008

I always assumed it was silver based until I heard one pro guy telling me this:

Only fiber based paper has silver. The RC stuff has a pigment and no silver at all.

Sounds like rubbish and the guy is more artistic than technical.

What is true?

Akki14 · Nov 1, 2008

Rubbish. It's the same emulsion on a different base.

fschifano · Nov 1, 2008

Well now, if we're talking tradtional B&W paper, Akki is 100% correct of course. The "RC" in RC paper refers to the fact that the paper is a resin coated (plastic if you will)laminate, which has nothing to do with the emulsion containing or not containing silver. A resin coated base material can also be coated with a process RA-4 (common color paper) emulsion. These emulsions contain silver just like C-41 films, but at the end of processing all of it is fixed out, having been replaced by dyes.

Bob F. · Nov 1, 2008

The pro guy may be getting confused by the b&w prints you get made by the mini-lab processors who will print b&w negatives on to colour RC paper. As said above, b&w RC paper is silver.

pentaxuser · Nov 1, 2008

Andrey said:
I always assumed it was silver based until I heard one pro guy telling me this:

Only fiber based paper has silver. The RC stuff has a pigment and no silver at all.

Sounds like rubbish and the guy is more artistic than technical.

What is true?

A pro guy? With this info what's he pro in? Next time you see him ask how this RC paper is developed in normal paper chems?

Alternatively could you have misheard him?

pentaxuser

WarEaglemtn · Nov 1, 2008

That 'pro guy' might actually be 'prophylactic guy' with knowledge like that.

phenix · Nov 1, 2008

Andrey, the pro guy was wrong: FB papers also might contain pigments like the RC ones. Meanwhile there’s one condition: to print them on an inkjet or laser printer.

Andrey · Nov 1, 2008

pentaxuser said:
A pro guy? With this info what's he pro in? Next time you see him ask how this RC paper is developed in normal paper chems?

Nah, he has too much to teach me about photography. I prefer not to go around telling people they're wrong, especially when they're mentoring me.

Alternatively could you have misheard him?

Not a chance. I had a surprised look and my face and asked him if he was sure there's no silver. It is theoretically possible to design SOMETHING that will be reduced in alkali and then fixed...

Thanks guys

Kirk Keyes · Nov 1, 2008

Why don't you name the pro so we can laugh at his ignorance and know not to hire him...

I'd suggest you find another "mentor".

Andrey · Nov 1, 2008

Kirk Keyes said:
Why don't you name the pro so we can laugh at his ignorance and know not to hire him...

I'd suggest you find another "mentor".

Do you have anybody willing to take me on?

The guy's been published nationally, consistently for the last 20 years or so.

kodachrome64 · Nov 2, 2008

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry 8300: BlackBerry8300/4.5.0.55 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

Well he could be talking about RA4 paper because the silver is bleached out and the resulting image is dye (just like color films). But even that contains silver...just not when it is done, unlike B&W silver prints. Unless he is talking about inkjet paper, it sounds like he's just wrong.

Nick

AgX · Nov 2, 2008

And even colour material does not contain pigments, but dyes...

railwayman3 · Nov 2, 2008

All "everyday" photo-paper contains silver, whether FB, RC, color or B&W...it's what gives it its sensitivity to light. (The only ones which don't are some of the older alternative processes mentioned in the other headings here).
After processing, the image is silver if B&W, dye if color (the silver is removed in processing of color paper or film).
Inkjet paper is a different matter, of course...it doesn't need to be light-sensitive!
I'd sack your "pro"...half the problem these days in everything is that there's too many self-proclaimed "experts" and too few "get-on-and-doers"

Kirk Keyes · Nov 2, 2008

Andrey said:
Do you have anybody willing to take me on?

Well, where are you located? That's the first step to finding someone new.

Does RC paper have silver in it or pigments?

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