ilford multigrade fb matte...

This thread has arrived at a most opportune time. I got my first box of this paper yesterday and have just tried five 8x10 negs with it. I did two prints from each neg. One lighter than the other to allow for dry down. I'll be able to check them in about two hours time. If I find them too dark, I'll try sepia toning them.
Mike

Interesting. This paper is actually the only paper I use this way. I have a few others lying around until they're used up, some Foma, and some Ilford Warmtone. Those papers I use a much more dilute bleach with or the effect will be avalanche like instead of subtle with the full strength bleach.

Bill, how long do you normally end up bleaching an image for?

I attached an image that I bleached in full strength bleach for 45s. I tried one at 30s and one at 60s, and it was either not warm enough in the highlights, or (at 60s) it turned too much like Wisconsin cheddar in the highlights, borderline orange.

billschwab said:

I never use the bleach full strength out of the package. That is testament to the latitude available with this paper. It allows each their own. I use both thiocarbomide and Kodak's Sepia II, but as Thomas points out that has now been discontinued. A home brew is easy enough.

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I used to use this until I discovered Ilford MGIV FB Gloss so it's been a while since I've printed with it.

Looking at prints that I've made on this paper, I can't help but notice others users comments about you not getting much of a black and I tend to agree. I also notice a few of my prints appear to lack contrast and sharpness but I can't remember if this is characteristic of the paper or if I printed a bit too soft back then.

It does respond well in sepia.

The gloss still remains my paper of choice

timk said:

Looking at prints that I've made on this paper...

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You list all the things I love about this paper, Tim. If you like those deep and what I perceive as unnatural blacks, you're not going to get them with any matte surface paper. If that is what a reader of this thread is looking for, save your money and go for the gloss version which is a very nice paper as well.

Thomas Bertilsson said:

... it was either not warm enough in the highlights, or (at 60s) it turned too much like Wisconsin cheddar in the highlights, borderline orange.

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This may be due to the strong bleaching out of any information you had in the highlights to begin with. The file you use as an example looks a little hot to me as if the highlights have bleached out. It could just be my monitor though.

As for the bleach time Thomas, it varies depending upon the feel and color I am looking for. However as I said before, what I have noticed is that the first bleach bath doesn't do as much as subsequent ones. I also use the bleach in a warmed state by floating the bleach tray in a larger one with warm water. To use your words...

"Experiment, experiment, experiment" !!

Also... I recommend following directions and using a very dilute hardening bath after your final tone and rinse and before your final wash. Depending upon your individual handling and washing, you might just open your print box in a couple of years and notice you have no image left.

Sorry if I'm not following correctly, but Thomas, your sample is bleached and then? Sepia toned? Selenium toned? Both?

Would love to see more posted samples of this. I have a bit of this paper from a Craigslist seller here. Due to circumstances (raining when I bought, in a hurry, shoved it on my shelf in darkroom and proceeded to print with every paper BUT this one) I honestly can't even remember if it's the glossy or matte FB. Looking at the box colors online though makes me think it might be glossy. Are people also liking the toning results on the glossy?

Yes, first bleach, then sepia, and finally selenium.

But as Bill says, you can do it any way you want to, basically. Any way you get the tone and color you want.

Thanks Bill, for explaining your approach. I have seen your prints in the flesh and they are amazing, some of the most attractive I have seen, both from a pure emotional perspective as well as a print quality view point; I react very strongly to them! Many of them exhibit a quality that is remarkably similar to good platinum/palladium prints.

I too like this paper for its soft character, not completely pitch black blacks, and the amazing versatility.

My posted picture is difficult to scan. There is a little bit of a golden hue present in all of the highlights. Some of the highlights are blocked up on purpose, as I wanted a print with a slight halo effect especially around Karly's beautiful hair. I see your point on completely bleaching away the highlights. It happens sometimes, for sure, and next time I get to print I will dilute the bleach and bleach longer. See what happens.

Experiment, experiment, experiment...

billschwab said:

This may be due to the strong bleaching out of any information you had in the highlights to begin with. The file you use as an example looks a little hot to me as if the highlights have bleached out. It could just be my monitor though.

As for the bleach time Thomas, it varies depending upon the feel and color I am looking for. However as I said before, what I have noticed is that the first bleach bath doesn't do as much as subsequent ones. I also use the bleach in a warmed state by floating the bleach tray in a larger one with warm water. To use your words...

"Experiment, experiment, experiment" !!

Click to expand...