Fiber paper akin to Ilford RC pearl

[dolande]

I’ve being using Ilford RC paper for all my work and I like the pearl surface. I wanted to try some fiber paper and after looking at my Ilford swatch book (sent to me by Simon Galley, thank you very much) I decided on the glossy surface; I thought the matt surface was too dull. My problem is that I still like the RC pearl surface better than the fiber glossy. I like the fiber texture but the glossy finish is brighter (right term?) than the pearl.

Any suggestion on a fiber paper that looks like the pearl RC?

Regards

Rafael

 

[Bob F.]

Have you actually tried the MGIV-FB glossy? I ask because different drying methods can effect the surface finish, so I wouldn't rely too much on the swatches: they may have been heat dried, and heat tends to give a glossier finish.

If still no good, you could look at Kentmere Fineprint's "fine grain matt" finish. I have not used the standard paper in that finish, but have with the Warmtone version and it has certain similarities, being a semi-matt finish.

Cheers, Bob.

 

[dolande]

Thanks Bob for your quick response. Yes, I’m using MGIV-FB glossy. The public darkroom I use have this “heated drum” for fiber paper. I just feed the washed print in it and it is dry and flat in about 1 minute. I guest next time I’ll just wait for the print to dry.

Thanks again

Rafael

 

[Travis Nunn]

I used to use a print dryer like you're talking about and I find that fiber glossy paper has a much nicer, more subtle glossy finish to it when air dried. Not only that, but those dryers are a bear to keep clean, especially in a shared darkroom environment.

I have used the Kentmere Fineprint fine grain matt (standard and warmtone) and it gives a finish similar to the pearl finish. Buy a 25 pack and test it. Its inexpensive enough that it won't break the bank.

 

[Jim Noel]

Did you dry the paper face up or down on the belt.
If you turn the emulsion toward the belt the finish is not over glossed. And as someone has already said, drying face up on screens gives a very nice soft lustre. One should remember that Pearl was originally developed in an attempt to look like a glossy fiber paper dried to a matte finish.

 

[Les McLean]

Try slowly drying fibre gloss paper face down on uncontamiated screens after squeegeeing the water from both back and front of the prints. This will achieve two things; the prints will be reasonably flat and the surface will be less glossy than when quickly dried. I dry my prints overnight in a cool room to achieve these results.

 

[dolande]

Thanks you all for your suggestions. I’ll try leaving the print overnight next time.

Rafael

 

[Monophoto]

Rafael -

Fne-arit photgraphers traditionally air-dried their glossy fiber base paper. They didn't especially like the extremely high gloss that resulted from dying that paper on ferrotype plates, and viewed that result as something that was more suitable for commercial product photography.

In the 1970's, the paper manufacturers started a push to convert the industry to RC paper. The main reason for this was environmental - RC paper manufacture and processing produces less effluent than fiber paper processing. Led (I believe) by Kodak but quickly followed by Ilford, they recognized that to make RC paper appealing to fine art photographers, they had to do something about the extremely high gloss of the glossy version. Kodak's answer was what they called their "E surface"; Ilford called their product "Pearl". But in both cases, it was an RC produce specifically designed to emulate the result that comes from air-drying glossy FB paper on screens

So the answer to you question is to do what the manufacturers didn't want you to do when they introduced E/Pearl paper - use fiber paper and dry it face up on fiberglass screens.

 

[Les McLean]

Rafael -

- use fiber paper and dry it face up on fiberglass screens.

If you place the print face up on a screen it will not dry evenly and will show some waviness, whereas placing it face down the weight of the fibre base will keep the print relatively flat without the waviness. The reason for this is that the paper base dries at a different speed to the emulsion. Very slow overnight drying will result in prints that are quite flat and teady to either dry mount or even corner mount.

 

[Travis Nunn]

I've dried prints bothways, face up and face down on screens and, like Les said, they stay flatter when dried face down.

 

[dolande]

Since I’m using a community darkroom I have to take home the prints once I’m done. Will I get the same effect if I use my blotter book?

Thanks again

Rafael

 

[Travis Nunn]

Until last month I've always used the community college darkroom so I was in the same boat as you. What I did was to squeegee the prints and put them in a blotter book and then as soon as I got home I'd put them face down on screens and let them dry overnight. I don't let them dry in the blotter book.

 

[Monophoto]

Les right - it's face down.

I mispoke - just got in after mowing the lawn and was obviously suffering from a brain cramp.