Forte - Poly

CMoore · Feb 7, 2019

I have heard about Polywarmtone for a long time.
I am not sure if i have ever held or seen a photo that was printed on it.
As far as enlarging for Black and White, and not doing any kind of Toning/Coloring...did you guys like it.?
Did it look "better" than other warm-tone papers for straight black and white printing.?
Thank You

koraks · Feb 8, 2019

I've only had the chance to try a few sheets (and I have a few left). It's a beautiful paper, but I foremost liked the way it toned in selenium, with grey and red tones. Fomatone MG comes kind of close, but is not quite the same.

Ian Grant · Feb 8, 2019

I bought a lot from the last coating run Forte did. I still have some packets of larger Polywarmtone left. I tried a lot of paper, I'd used Rocord Rapid then MCC for many years until Agfa stopped production, at that point the Ilford Warmtone paper was on a creamier base which I didn't like so I switched to Polywarmtone.

I find Polywarmtone to have greater flexibility compared to MCC and Ilford Warmtone, by that I mean I can manipulate the paper more with development and exposure, split tone in Selenium if I want - the grey/red tones described above. I have used Fomatone MG Classic III, it's a nice paper but like the older Ilfrord Warmtone has an off white base which I don't like for my sets of exhibition prints.

A couple of years ago after some testing I switched to Ilford Warmtone paper, while it's not quite a flexible as Polywarmtone it's OK, I've not made many prints with it yet as I'm finishing projects with my dwindling Polywarmtone supply. The good news is Adox/Fotoimpex are still working on re-introducing Polywarmtone but it's not one of their priorities at the moment.

Ian

koraks · Feb 8, 2019

Ian Grant said:
The good news is Adox/Fotoimpex are still working on re-introducing Polywarmtone but it's not one of their priorities at the moment.

They have been for years now, but apart from a fairly hopeful teaser a few years ago, it's been very silent surrounding this endeavor. It seems there would certainly be quite some demand for a modern version of this paper.

CMoore · Feb 8, 2019

Ian -
I looked through your APUG Portfolio.
I have a great appreciation for trains; they can really be a photographers dream. Those frames from the locomotive shops are fantastic.!
I realize i am looking at a computer screen, but...what kind of paper were those printed on.? Do you remember.?
Thank You

KPA40 · Feb 8, 2019

ADOX has just fullfilled a Polywarmtone test coating a few days ago. Now they are analyzing the photographic properties. The new ADOX-Polywarmtone seems to come nearer.

http://www.adox.de/Photo/first-testcoating-with-real-emulsions

Olaf

Ian Grant · Feb 8, 2019

koraks said:
They have been for years now, but apart from a fairly hopeful teaser a few years ago, it's been very silent surrounding this endeavor. It seems there would certainly be quite some demand for a modern version of this paper.

There's just been a test coating, now Fotoimpex are actually in their own facility at the former Tellko/Ilford plant in Marly, Switzerland, they have more flexibility. See Mirko's posts in the last 2 days.

Ian

Ian Grant · Feb 8, 2019

CMoore said:
Ian -
I looked through your APUG Portfolio.
I have a great appreciation for trains; they can really be a photographers dream. Those frames from the locomotive shops are fantastic.!
I realize i am looking at a computer screen, but...what kind of paper were those printed on.? Do you remember.?
Thank You

Some are on the old Blue label Record Rapid which still contained Cadmium, others the later Record Rapid, MCC and at least one on Polywarmtone. These haven't been exhibited yet and will all be reprinted on the same paper - almost certainly Iford Warmtone. Developer would have been Agfa Neutol WA of Ilford ID-78 and all are selenium toned.

Ian

naaldvoerder · Feb 8, 2019

I bought a lot of PW, before Forte folded. It is a beautiful paper. Bright white base. Very flexible emulsion. Excellent in straight printing, as in lith.

As a beside, I have always liked the fact that in every pack a couple of small pieces could be found, to be used as test strips. I have always considered them a small "hello" from the Hungarian employees of Forte.

mshchem · Feb 8, 2019

Split toning. Selenium reveals amazing tones. There's a hard and a soft contrast layer each tones at a different rate. It's a quirky paper , dry down is huge . What looks good wet will look dark dry.
The Forte papers were beautiful. Forte started out as a Eastman Kodak plant in the early 20th century, their papers were, to my eye, somewhat reminiscent of Kodak's line of fiber papers.

mshchem · Feb 8, 2019

https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?23303-The-End-of-Forte-(((

koraks · Feb 8, 2019

Ian and KPA, that is great news! Quite a coincidence that this emerged just now. I'll certainly order some when it hits the shelves.

CMoore · Feb 8, 2019

mshchem said:
https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?23303-The-End-of-Forte-(((

OK...lots to read there. Thanks
Very interesting...just the manufacture of photo paper for Black and White darkroom is kind of fascinating.
Oh The Choices......i know every generation goes through a withdrawal process. But dammit.....Paper Availability and Rock and Roll really WERE Better in the 70's ..!!!

koraks said:
Ian and KPA, that is great news! Quite a coincidence that this emerged just now. I'll certainly order some when it hits the shelves.

Yes, my intuitive foresight (creating the OP) was remarkable.

Wayne · Feb 8, 2019

While I hope I'm wrong, based on progress so far I'm guessing it will still be at least a few years before it ever hits the shelves again. I'm glad there has been recent work on it again.

Like others said, the flexibility of the emulsion was wonderful. It was capable of a great variety of tones. I tested most or all warmtone paper available during its last days and didnt find another that came close. Naturally, they folded as soon as I fell in love with it, and naturally I didn't have the cash to buy a large stash.

ADOX Fotoimpex · Feb 8, 2019

Wayne said:
While I hope I'm wrong, based on progress so far I'm guessing it will still be at least a few years before it ever hits the shelves again. I'm glad there has been recent work on it again.

Like others said, the flexibility of the emulsion was wonderful. It was capable of a great variety of tones. I tested most or all warmtone paper available during its last days and didnt find another that came close. Naturally, they folded as soon as I fell in love with it, and naturally I didn't have the cash to buy a large stash.

It won´t take this long. The photography (curves, tonality) is OK. We still have some minor coating issues but I am pretty certain that, unless the coater in Marly breaks down on us and causes a delay, we are rather talking months than years.

Check out the blog from now on or sign up for our newsletter.

Here´s our "famous" test image printed on the recent coating (which means ready to produce) paper.
The stripe in the middle is genuine PW from Forte. It is a tiny bit less sensitive than our PW II but all the rest is right on target. Exposed and developed identically. Grade 2, Neutol WA.
Don´t look at the dust- we don´t care for this in test images.
The white stripe on the top is the coating border as seen in the Youtube video about the first layer build up.

mshchem · Feb 8, 2019

ADOX Fotoimpex said:
It won´t take this long. The photography (curves, tonality) is OK. We still have some minor coating issues but I am pretty certain that, unless the coater in Marly breaks down on us and causes a delay, we are rather talking months than years.

Check out the blog from now on or sign up for our newsletter.

Here´s our "famous" test image printed on the recent coating (which means ready to produce) paper.
The stripe in the middle is genuine PW from Forte. It is a tiny bit less sensitive than our PW II but all the rest is right on target. Exposed and developed identically. Grade 2, Neutol WA.
Don´t look at the dust- we don´t care for this in test images.
The white stripe on the top is the coating border as seen in the Youtube video about the first layer build up.

View attachment 216655

Very nice. There's folks out there that will be asking for Cibachrome heart:hmm ?) Seriously, we will settle for Polywarmtone
Waiting. A nice G surface like Kodak Ektalure and I will take a couple million sq. meters.

MattKing · Feb 8, 2019

mshchem said:
A nice G surface like Kodak Ektalure and I will take a couple million sq. meters.

Better be careful - that could be construed as a binding offer .

Wayne · Feb 8, 2019

Awesome Mirko, I'm glad I could coax you into assuring me that I'm wrong. I like being wrong in this case. I was one of the early people committing to buy when you started the blog, check it regularly and I'm still here. Best of luck on the home stretch!

Patrick Robert James · Feb 8, 2019

All my old Forte paper is toast at this point. When they took the Cadmium out of the paper it didn't keep so well.

Glad to see the progress Adox has made! I'd love to use that. I haven't really liked any warmtone papers since PWT, but that looks nice...

mshchem · Feb 8, 2019

MattKing said:
Better be careful - that could be construed as a binding offer .

Oh, I'm good for it. Of course Americans are woefully ignorant oder SI units

Wayne · Feb 8, 2019

mshchem said:
Oh, I'm good for it. Of course Americans are woefully ignorant oder SI units

A couple million square meters would be 155,000,000 4x5's.

mshchem · Feb 8, 2019

Wayne said:
A couple million square meters would be 155,000,000 4x5's.

Whoa Nellie, I thought it was only 155,000 . I'm going to need to review my calculations. I think when I converted from acre-foot to gallon I misplaced my decimals

ADOX Fotoimpex · Feb 9, 2019

MattKing said:
Better be careful - that could be construed as a binding offer .

We woulkd not be capable of manufacturing this amount in the current setup......

Ian Grant · Feb 9, 2019

I'll have to start saving Mirko, and use up my large stock of Ilford Warmtone It's good to see progress again, it really is my favourite paper, I just wish I'd found it sooner.

Ian

Stankula · Apr 28, 2021

Fabulous tones!!! When we'll be able to print on this paper again?

ADOX Fotoimpex said:
It won´t take this long. The photography (curves, tonality) is OK. We still have some minor coating issues but I am pretty certain that, unless the coater in Marly breaks down on us and causes a delay, we are rather talking months than years.

Check out the blog from now on or sign up for our newsletter.

Here´s our "famous" test image printed on the recent coating (which means ready to produce) paper.
The stripe in the middle is genuine PW from Forte. It is a tiny bit less sensitive than our PW II but all the rest is right on target. Exposed and developed identically. Grade 2, Neutol WA.
Don´t look at the dust- we don´t care for this in test images.
The white stripe on the top is the coating border as seen in the Youtube video about the first layer build up.

View attachment 216655

Forte - Poly

CMoore

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Ian Grant

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Forte - Poly

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