Ilford ART 300 paper

[NB23]

All I can say is Wow!!

Question: what's your experience with drydown with this particular paper?

 

[Toffle]

This reminds me, it's time to order some more of this... I love this paper, but because if its texture, it is not the best for scanning. Sometimes the scans look speckled. I have used it almost exclusively for Caffenol printing, and have not noticed as much dry down as other FB papers, but that may be because of the Caffenol process itself.

 

[Colin Corneau]

Never noticed much drydown effect. The most notable thing in my use is it floats like a cork during washing!

Still haven't quite got a bead on this paper re: toning yet. Had generally good effects with mild selenium/sepia although a couple prints went funky with a strange sheen...I'm guessing user error somehow.

Love this paper.

 

[doughowk]

I haven't noticed any dry down. Using Moersch Neutral developer.
Scanning, at least on a flat-bed, doesn't do the paper justice. It has to be held at different angles to appreciate its uniqueness.

 

[jp498]

I've observed (but not scientifically calculated) Ilford papers to have less drydown than some of their competitors. For soft/smooth stuff, it's awesome.
For extreme detail stuff like 8x10 contact prints shot with a plasmat stopped way down, use a glossier paper.

 

[Chris Lange]

One of my favorite papers, period. I love it in 5x7" for printing 4x6" images from 35mm...really classic look about the whole thing. Also love it in 20x24 for larger prints from 6x6 and gritty 35mm stuff.

 

[Tom1956]

This reminds me, it's time to order some more of this... I love this paper, but because if its texture, it is not the best for scanning. Sometimes the scans look speckled. I have used it almost exclusively for Caffenol printing, and have not noticed as much dry down as other FB papers, but that may be because of the Caffenol process itself.

Texture? I know nothing of this paper. So this is not an unferrotyped "F" surface paper? Thank you.

 

[Chris Lange]

Texture? I know nothing of this paper. So this is not an unferrotyped "F" surface paper? Thank you.

It's Hahnemuhle watercolor paper with ilford WT emulsion on it, essentially.

 

[dorff]

I also have used this paper, and totally love it, but it is heavy! The postage costs me three times the amount of the paper itself. So I have used it very sparingly. Drydown isn't worse than comparable fibre-based paper.

 

[Rudeofus]

Never noticed much drydown effect. The most notable thing in my use is it floats like a cork during washing!

Only during washing? It floats in the developer, then is somewhat ok in the stop bath, only to float like Styrofoam in the two fixer trays. The heavier the liquid, the more it floats

But the resulting prints make it worth it!

 

[darkosaric]

All I can say is Wow!!

I wanted to try this paper but:
30x40cm 30 papers - 154,91 EUR

That is too expensive.

 

[gone]

Anything w/ the Hahnemuhle name on it is going to be expensive and very good. I used to use this w/ watercolors and the like. Ended up going to Fabriano, which is a wonderful paper too, and I could buy it a little cheaper. Some of these handmade watercolor papers w/ the deckle edges, you don't even want to lay a brush on them they're so beautiful.

 

[darkosaric]

Anything w/ the Hahnemuhle name on it is going to be expensive and very good. I used to use this w/ watercolors and the like. Ended up going to Fabriano, which is a wonderful paper too, and I could buy it a little cheaper. Some of these handmade watercolor papers w/ the deckle edges, you don't even want to lay a brush on them they're so beautiful.

Well, I think that I will give it a try with 18x24cm size. For this kind of paper I know that you must try yourself and see, scanning and reading about it is pointless

 

[jp498]

It seems to have some sort of sandy texture atop the water color paper too, like there is a smooth coat over fine sandpaper on nice paper.

 

[Bob Carnie]

good for hand colouring as well

 

[NB23]

Yes 20x24 quickly gets expensive. But I found a way to make it worth it.

As I shoot a lot of xpan, its format lends itself perfectly for 10x24 prints. I therefore cut my 20x24 papers in half. A box of 50 sheets becomes box of 100 sheets.

In this aspect, I will kinda accept to pay 130$ for 30 10"x24" sheets. The paper's finish defenitely adds to the images, making it all worth every penny.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Yes, the texture is beautiful. Especially once framed. I'm on my third box of 11x14 of the stuff, and it really looks fantastic once toned.
The emulsion is super similar to regular Ilford Multigrade Warmtone with respect to toning.

 

[MartinP]

I like it too Am I being evil when I think of a future ART300-Coldtone . . ?

 

[winger]

good for hand colouring as well

Yes, very.
It does scan horribly and there's a look to it that scanning can't come close to getting anyway because it tries to flatten everything. This is a very tactile paper.

 

[horacekenneth]

I really like that paper. I have a couple prints with it however that I had stored inside a box with other prints and just recently noticed the MG Art 300 prints yellowing pretty severely. I'm sure its user error but I can't think of what I did differently with those.

 

[MartinP]

I wanted to try this paper but:
30x40cm 30 papers - 154,91 EUR

That is too expensive.

Perhaps it depends on the supplier. I buy it from a UK online shop and their price for 30 sheets of 30,5x40,6cm is 120,69 including tax. That makes it four euros per sheet instead of five, in round numbers, so that might be enough to tip the balance - especially if you have an order for a few other items at the same time, of course, as the international shipping is twenty euros for anything up to 30kg!

 

[ROL]

most notable thing in my use is it floats like a cork during washing!

That's been my experience with many of Ilford's "heavyweight" whistling papers. Thinking of taking a box to the beach with me this summer instead of my usual duck floaties.

 

[Chris Lange]

It floats because it doesn't have a Baryta layer to soak up as much fluid as normal fiber papers. It is a cotton-rag paper with far less absorption capacity, hence the shorter fixing/washing times.

 

[pentaxuser]

I presume there are two solutions to the floating problem:

1. With trays, keep pushing it under the surface gently with a pair of tongs

2. Use a Nova processor where the "trays" are on their sides. I take it that the propensity to float isn't sufficient for the paper to attempt to rise enough such that it sticks to the side of the Nova slots?

Thanks in anticipation of replies

pentaxuser

 

[Chris Lange]

When I use it, I find that mindful agitation has no problem covering the entire surface area of the paper, face up. It's no worse than using old, curly FB paper that needs to get wet in order to flatten out...

For washing, I use the notched covers from my salthill washer to hold the sheets down.