Foma VC RC 500 ft roll vs 5x7 sheets

[declark]

I noticed Freestyle has Foma Fomaspeed Variant III VC RC 6 inch x 500 ft. roll (311) Glossy advertised for $67.49... so that's 250 sq ft of paper for roughly $.27 / sq ft. Whereas they also sell a 5x7 100 pack of the same paper for $36.99 (or 24.3 sq ft for roughly $1.52 / sq ft). So what's the down side to the large roll given that the cut paper is over 5x more expensive? Is it a total pain to work with and flatten out or likely to go stale in a couple of years? I'd probably use it primarily to print 35mm to 6x9 format. BTW, I realize there's an additional charge for shipping, but even then the numbers still work out pretty much in favor of the roll. Thanks for any advice you might have.

 

[walbergb]

Yes, cut sheets off a large roll have quite a curve to them and they don't flatten until they get wet in the developer. RC isn't as bad as double-weight fibre (I have both). To handle the curve while printing, I use magnets on my 4-blade easel. 6" wide is a lot easier to work with than the 48" plus widths. The cut edges can be rough unless you have a rotary cutter. Furthermore, you have the added risk of damaging the emulsion by handling or damaging the black plastic and the paper getting exposed. Finally, you have to be prepared to do a lot of printing because you will have over 650 sheets of 6"x9" from a single roll. How long the paper will last depends a lot on how you store it. A 6" roll will easily fit into a fridge or freezer and will last a long time. Roll or boxed, the longevity is the same.

I have 98' rolls of Ilford RC and double-weight fibre (up to 56" wide) that I got for cheap. I bought it with low expectations as to how I would use it--experimenting, fun prints for around the house. If I'm making a serious print for myself or someone else, I use fresh stock from a box.

 

[nworth]

I've used roll paper in the past, cutting sheets from 250 foot rolls used to print aerial film. The advantages are low cost and the ability to cut odd sizes for panoramas and the like. Sometimes you can also get different surfaces. The disadvantage is that you have to cut it. The big rolls are hard to handle, so cutting it accurately is difficult. I generally used scissors to cut off a chunk nearly the right size and then trimmed the final print to look neat. That means that the cut edge is not square, however. It also means that you waste a fair amount of paper, which makes it less economical than it might appear. You still save money, though, and it is a pretty good way of doing things.

 

[walbergb]

"650 sheets of 6"x9" from a single roll" Sorry, bad math You should get 133 sheets of 9"x6" from a 100' roll.

Since I have a few wide rolls, I made an upright jig which makes the process of cutting sheets easy and accurate. I retired from a community college and the welding department made me a 5'x4" steel ruler (very straight) to go along with the jig. I cut 10", 14", or 20" on the jig; then use a rotary cutter for the other cut. My sheets are square...most of the time. Very little waste. If I want 5"x7", I cut the 10" in half.

 

[declark]

"650 sheets of 6"x9" from a single roll" Sorry, bad math You should get 133 sheets of 9"x6" from a 100' roll.

Since I have a few wide rolls, I made an upright jig which makes the process of cutting sheets easy and accurate. I retired from a community college and the welding department made me a 5'x4" steel ruler (very straight) to go along with the jig. I cut 10", 14", or 20" on the jig; then use a rotary cutter for the other cut. My sheets are square...most of the time. Very little waste. If I want 5"x7", I cut the 10" in half.

Actually I think the math was pretty close. It is a 500 ft roll, not 100.

Just curious if anyone knows how large these rolls are (full roll outer diameter). I know they weigh close to 15 lbs.

 

[Ryan Montgomery]

I have worked with rolls before and found them a bit of a pain.

You can unroll a bit and roll it back on itself but it's just not the same.

 

[walbergb]

"Actually I think the math was pretty close. It is a 500 ft roll, not 100."

So it's my reading skills, not my math skills My math teacher would be happy, but my literature teacher would probably give me homework Thanks C.