Fuji Crystal Archive Paper in UK

chorleyjeff · Mar 12, 2007

Very simple question.
Where in the UK can I buy Fuji CA glossy in 11" x 14" sheets?
I live in Lancashire but mail order would be fine.
10" x 12" and 12" x 16" are easy to get but 11" x 14" seems difficult to get hold of.
Cheers
Jefff

Dave Miller · Mar 12, 2007

I think the 11 x 14 is an odd ball American size, so try a supplier in the USA.

chorleyjeff · Mar 12, 2007

Dave Miller said:
I think the 11 x 14 is an odd ball American size, so try a supplier in the USA.

Seems mainstream in USA which means mainstream full stop. Cost of shipping from USA is very high - at least as quoted by Calumet.
This size Ilford MG is readily available in UK so thought it would also be available in RA4
Cheers
Jeff

pentaxuser · Mar 12, 2007

Jeff. I have just done a search of my sites and no luck either. I know this is answering a question you haven't asked but if 11x14 is an absolute must, you can get it at a couple of sites in the UK in Kodak Supra Endura.

For what it is worth I have used both papers and can't recall seeing much of a difference in the finished product. Of course the filtration is different and needs to be set up for Kodak.

If Fuji is an absolute must then you could get bigger and cut if you have a big enough trimmer. I have cut paper under a DUKA safelight in very acceptable illumination without any ill effects that I was aware of.

pentaxuser

David Henderson · Mar 12, 2007

Sorry to disagree but when my London lab attempted to switch to Endura there was a huge difference in the prints with the Kodak paper being much duller and with no sparkle or life about the prints at all. Needless to say they switched right back.

pentaxuser · Mar 12, 2007

David Henderson said:
Sorry to disagree but when my London lab attempted to switch to Endura there was a huge difference in the prints with the Kodak paper being much duller and with no sparkle or life about the prints at all. Needless to say they switched right back.

Hmm... Just wait until PE sees this. Seriously I accept that there is no point in using a paper which in the eye of the beholder is markedly inferior but if the difference was this large it does make me wonder why Kodak is able to sell its paper at all. On most sites it is, if anything, a little more expensive.

pentaxuser

chorleyjeff · Mar 13, 2007

pentaxuser said:
Jeff. I have just done a search of my sites and no luck either. I know this is answering a question you haven't asked but if 11x14 is an absolute must, you can get it at a couple of sites in the UK in Kodak Supra Endura.

For what it is worth I have used both papers and can't recall seeing much of a difference in the finished product. Of course the filtration is different and needs to be set up for Kodak.

If Fuji is an absolute must then you could get bigger and cut if you have a big enough trimmer. I have cut paper under a DUKA safelight in very acceptable illumination without any ill effects that I was aware of.

pentaxuser

Thanks for the suggestion.
Fuji CA 11" x 14" is listed in the Fuji product description and I would have liked some because I find 12" x 16" a bit of a stretch for 35mm but I guess I can print at the smaller size on the larger paper. Also I have just been donated a bench top freezer which can fit 11 x 14 but not 12 x 16 and with summer on the way I thought a bulk purchase to go in the freezer would have been a good idea.
A second also is that I read somewhere that CA does not require a stop bath which makes the use of my 2 slot processor feasible.
Cheers
Jeff

pentaxuser · Mar 13, 2007

[A second also is that I read somewhere that CA does not require a stop bath which makes the use of my 2 slot processor feasible.
Cheers
Jeff[/QUOTE]

Jeff. I always thought that you can maybe get away without stop with either Fuji or Kodak but that it wasn't advisable for RA4. Your research seems to indicate that Fuji isn't susceptible to missing out the stop bath step compared to Kodak.

Presumably, even if this were true, then the contamination of the blix with developer would be just the same and as bad whether it is Fuji or Kodak paper that you're processing.

Depending on the contamination, it may be cheaper to have a tray of stop bath alongside the two slot Nova for a dip prior to the blix stage.

Fuji's lack of 11x14 size distribution in Europe is a bit of a puzzle. If it exists, why not offer it. If the market doesn't exist in Europe for it then why is Kodak bothering to offer it?

pentaxuser

Nathan · Mar 14, 2007

11x14 has traditionally been an American size. Fuji (U.K.) didn't do MP cut sheet in 11x14 either and as they have switched over to CA in cut sheet the range of sizes has had to be consolidated even further due to the falling demand in cut sheet paper across Europe. Fuji USA sell a different range of papers (Super C Color) as they have a coating plant producing for the Americas, the UK and Europe's paper is coated in Holland. B&H do supply this paper although I do not know what the p&p would be. I am not sure if 11x14 is cut in Europe. One other reason maybe that Agfa used to cut most of the cut sheet colour paper in Europe and when they went a new source for cutting cut sheet had to be found for the European markets and they may not offer this size.

chorleyjeff · Mar 14, 2007

Nathan said:
11x14 has traditionally been an American size. Fuji (U.K.) didn't do MP cut sheet in 11x14 either and as they have switched over to CA in cut sheet the range of sizes has had to be consolidated even further due to the falling demand in cut sheet paper across Europe. Fuji USA sell a different range of papers (Super C Color) as they have a coating plant producing for the Americas, the UK and Europe's paper is coated in Holland. B&H do supply this paper although I do not know what the p&p would be. I am not sure if 11x14 is cut in Europe. One other reason maybe that Agfa used to cut most of the cut sheet colour paper in Europe and when they went a new source for cutting cut sheet had to be found for the European markets and they may not offer this size.

Thanks for the enlightening explanation.

Fuji Crystal Archive Paper in UK

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