Ilford Art 300

Really enjoy working with Ilford's new textured art photographic paper.
Just be careful when handilng wet, it does damage easily.
When it dries, it doesn't curl that much and when washing I have noticed that the prints like to float to the top if washing in a tray with a Kodak syphon.
It is nice to have Ilfords various fibre papers - thanks guys

I agree. I've just printed with this paper in the past week or two, and what a pleasure.

Absolutely thrilled with everything to do with this new product -- the tones, the ease of use, the relatively flat drying. Everything.

Ilford, thank you. This is a winner.

I bought a box almost a month ago and have been itching to try it. I was finally able to use it this week. I really want to see how it handcolors. What strikes me is how much it looks like the prints we found in the table at my grandmother's house (photos from the early 1900s). I printed a portrait of my grandmother on it and I really like it.
I think I'm using lower contrast filters than I usually would and a bit more light overall.
The floating drives me a little nuts, though.

Art paper base floats...really sorry, at least you do not have to wash it as long as baryta...

Tim Rudman uses a vertical archival wash and just pops a film clip on the bottom of the paper..

Winger: it hand colours very nicely.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited

I also think this paper is just about perfect, I love the eggshell texture, it works great in the highlights where you expect a slight sheen, but to me, not as well in the darks where you have to be at the right angle to avoid unwanted sheen. Is there any tricks to lower the sheen? That's the only thing that keeps me from using this paper as my standard paper.
Steven

squinonescolon said:

I also think this paper is just about perfect, I love the eggshell texture, it works great in the highlights where you expect a slight sheen, but to me, not as well in the darks where you have to be at the right angle to avoid unwanted sheen. Is there any tricks lower the sheen? That's the only thing that keeps me from using this paper as my standard paper.
Steven

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That is indeed my only real gripe with this paper. Yes, it does float, the base is delicate when wet, etc, but I can live with all of that, and I have gone through 3 boxes of 11x14 already. But, I do feel that the sheen really robs the blacks/dmax but quite a lot when dry. Most of the time, I'm fighting with it to get a viewing angle that pleases me in that department.

The thing is, you can 'fix' all the other things by just working differently, and I think that's not much to ask of us in order to use a great paper. But the glossiness in the darks, I don't know how to fix that one.

I agree with the basic goodness of this paper . . . and the problem of sheen in the blacks. Is the problem solved by framing behind glass?

no need to apologise, it is great paper and that is just one of the characteristics

I talked with my Ilford rep in Canada. They're very pleased with the sales figures on this new product. In fact 5x7 is the only size that is in stock. The rest are sold out and gone to backorder.
-Rob

It selenium tones nicely too, as it turns out.

Colin Corneau said:

It selenium tones nicely too, as it turns out.

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It does. Fred Newman at The View Camera Store tested for max black and at 1:10 it reaches it in about 2 minutes. After that, no changes until eventual split tone at 10 min or so.

In Canada the paper is again available in the 8x10 size. The 11x14 is still backordered.
-Rob

Thanks for this thread.

Has anyone tried this paper with Formulary's 130 Paper Developer?

If so, impressions please.

I've used it with divided Ansco 130, which should be the same. Beautiful tones as you would expect.

Sorry to double post... I had posted this in the "Art 300 Sample" thread and it was perhaps more suited for this one...

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Hi Simon, Great to see you posting about the new paper.

I have been running it through the paces lately and like very much what I see. It is great to work with and I love the texture and how it compliments a certain type of photograph. However, the thing I am not so sure of is the somewhat reflective sheen the paper displays. I was under the impression that this was to be more like Hahnemuhle's digital "Photo Rag" paper with a dull, matt surface much like a watercolor paper. I'm finding this shine coupled with the texture to be distracting and am hearing the same from other photographers as well.



What I am wondering is if Ilford has any plans to offer a more traditional matt surface as in their other papers? If possible, I think it would be a great alternative and make the paper even more interesting to potential users. Personally I would buy the stuff by the case if so, but in its current state I can only see using it for the occasional project.

All that aside, I commend you and Ilford for your dedication to traditional photographic materials and I will continue using your products with great satisfaction. The fact you've actually developed a new paper is a testament to your commitment to those of us that still love the wet darkroom and I can only hope there will be more.

All the Best, Bill Schwab
www.billschwab.com

Dear Bill et al,

The base is indeed the HAHNEMUEHLE Photo Rag base, my thinking is that the 'Ink Jet' coating ( dispersion ) that goes on that degrades and matts the image, where as the Photo coating does not, we have no plans to change the product so early in its run, in saying that you can 'matt' down a coating I will speak to product development.

Regards

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

Paper swatches in resellers.....

Ahhhhh.... sometimes resellers do not put them out?....because people 'nick' them....I know 100% as a fact that no APUG member would ever do that, but possible passing D*****L photographers do...

As a fact they cost about $ 30.00 per swatch to make...so to be absolutely honest we are not very generous giving them out either.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

Is there anywhere one could order an Ilford swatch book of their very own, with all the current offerings? I'm sure some of us would even be willing to pay for one rather than swiping them

Thanks,
Duncan

Dear Duncan,

I will look into it

Simon.

Simon R Galley said:

The base is indeed the HAHNEMUEHLE Photo Rag base, my thinking is that the 'Ink Jet' coating ( dispersion ) that goes on that degrades and matts the image, where as the Photo coating does not...

Click to expand...

Perhaps more the other way around? The back of the paper feels like Photo Rag, but the surface with the photo coating makes it quite different. I can see upon further examination under high magnification that my original thought that this was in fact a resin/fiber hybrid seems to be the case. I've had some prints soaking for a couple of days in order to separate them from the coating and having done so can see that it is a very thin plastic or resin coating on the paper. It is kind of rubbery. I'm guessing this would account for its tendancy to float on the surface of the water as well as for the shorter wash times? Also for the the fact that it lays so flat and doesn't curl like other fiber based papers.

Thanks for the information, Simon. It is very much appreciated and anything you can pass along from the people in product development would be great. If the paper is in fact a resin or plastic hybrid, my concern is that it will degrade over time much as resin coated papers do and won't be truly archival as in the case with other fiber based papers.

Edit: Here is a magnified scan of what I am talking about. It definitely feels and stretches like plastic.

Simon R Galley said:

Paper swatches in resellers.....

Ahhhhh.... sometimes resellers do not put them out?....because people 'nick' them....I know 100% as a fact that no APUG member would ever do that, but possible passing D*****L photographers do...

As a fact they cost about $ 30.00 per swatch to make...so to be absolutely honest we are not very generous giving them out either.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

Click to expand...

Many of us only have online stores to buy from. There isn't a half-decent photo store within a days' drive from me now. I miss living in MA - I remember seeing the swatch booklets out at Newtonville Camera. That was actually one reason I was comfortable picking one when I switched away from another paper manufacturer in the 90s.


There is a sheen, but I don't really find it objectionable in what I've printed so far. I still haven't had a chance to do any coloring, but I can't wait.

I would like to be able to try it for less money than the cheapest packs cost. B&H doesn't list it. At Freestyle (never the cheapest on paper but I do like to support them) the least expensive packages are 10 sheets of 11x14 or 50 sheets of 5x7, both priced at $32.39. That's a bit more than I want to pay just to try out a new paper. How about a 10 sheets of 8x10 trial pack?

I'm also concerned about the blacks; they're rich for sure, but it seems as though small gradations get lost in the textured sparkle of the paper. So, I went to work with some renaissance wax. After a couple coats the glistening was gone, but so was the rich (IFWT like) black - a look I think many who are after a more traditional matte black would appreciate. I didn't spent too much time exploring coat thickness, but I'd imagine a happy medium could be met somewhere between a dead flat black which reveals all the detail in the lower tones, and what we're given to begin with.

^ Interesting. Joe, do you have a scan or photo of a print you can post?