Kodak Endura Metallic Paper and Traditional Silver Gelatin Papers

I found a discontinued product from Kodak , called Kodak Endura Metallic Inkjet Paper. Its a interesting idea to print on metallic paper.
I want to ask , our analog papers have a metallic surface , how compares with this paper. Is there any new product like that Endura paper either for digital and analog ?

Thank you,
Umut

Dear Umut,

I never used the Metallic inkjet paper, but the Metallic color paper (RA-4) had a fun metallic look. Great for shiny objects like cars. I even made a few prints from an ice hockey game. I wish I could describe it better, but I can't. The bad news is that after one box, I had no urge to buy more. It was fun, but the fun was short lived. It might still be available in rolls.

Neal Wydra

I reached that metallic paper after reserching Daguerrotype. Someone claimed , the prints on that paper resemblance Daguerrotype. Highlights would be glow and mid tones would have an sheen. I first hear about metallic color paper from you Neal. As I read from wiki , the 3dimensionless of Daguerrotype comes from polished silver back ? I looked to the samples of Kodak paper , they have heavily machined and I cant find words to comment on them. But they look like a woman had had been used heavy make up with what ever she could get .I remember now , Ilford Slide Prints have an sheen on colors. Is there metallic bw papers also ? May be I can contact print my 66s with them.

Thanks,
Umut

Umut, I had a few boxes of gold and silver paper made by Argenta years ago. Unfortunately, prints made on them don't scan well at all - they really need light shining on them to show up the metallic nature properly. The gold ones scan as a mustard sort of colour and the silver just looks flat. I can post examples of both, if you'd like, but you really won't get the best impression of them in this fashion.

Hello Molli ,

I read that shiny silver coating makes daguerrotypes special and images are floating on the surface. I am not expert and I have no idea about that polished silver backing is unharmed or not because of treatments.
Did you notice anything like that ? Well lots of us sees old processes at scans whatever it is. I would be happy to see a scan but I dont know how scanner handles reflected intense light.

Thank you Molli and have an wonderful night.

Umut

Hello again Umut,

From your description, I'm thinking my paper isn't even close to what you're looking for. From what you've said of the end result, it sounds as though you're talking of something with this level of reflection:

Apologies to the web site I pinched that image from... it's actually a photo of silver mylar. I do have some card stock with that level of polished reflection but couldn't get a decent photo of it to show you. I wonder how that would hold up with some Liquid Light coated on it.
Anyway, my paper has a far more matt surface than that and the scan robs it of the small amount of reflection it has.
This is the Argenta Superpress SP602 Silver:

As you can see, it's a tad fogged, particularly around the edge.

This is the Argenta Superpress SP601 Gold:


That one is actually shinier than the silver, although not by much.
I don't think either would be capable of what you're looking to achieve.

Hello Molli,

Thank you for your great post. You are right and We are thinking the same thing. I wonder how a shiny surface goes with emulsion coating and your mylar finding is excellent. I am thinking also how to develop Tri X film with mercury

Your photographs fit in to qualities of your Argenta paper very well.

There are lots of articles , journal archives at the internet. Did you see my 140 gigapixel Dag thread ? WOW !

I am hoping to find something in Alaaddins cave.

Thank you and take care,
Umut

Mercury? Hmmm, I think I'd probably move house if I so much as broke my darkroom thermometer! I can't see myself playing with it to satisfy my curiosity

Do you have access to the shiny silver card stock I mentioned? If it would be of any use to you to coat that and you can't source any locally, I'd be happy to send you some.

Thank you very much for your offer. If you were located 1/4 of distance , may be postage would be cheaper but I cant want you to break the bank I have lots of foxes running in my mind and this is one of it , you know.

I am preparing my muscles to read from an modern dageurrotype website tonight. I did not sleep for 48 hours and I can put an other 12 hours on to it.

What about the fires ? Are you effected ? I wish not so. When I found something interesting , I will pm you with the thread link. My main intention is not to use mercury also but what else ? I dont know.

Take care and be well,

Umut
Istanbul

It's only card stock, I don't imagine it would be any more expensive than sending anywhere else in the world Do let me know if you want some and what size would be most useful to you. It's sold just up the road in sheets around a metre square (um, 3 feet square, I think). You'd have to provide your own emulsion coating.

In a thread elsewhere ((there was a url link here which no longer exists)),

TheFlyingCamera said:

You can do it with mercury, or you can do the Becquerel process - the Becquerel process involves no developing chemical, but instead the plate is re-exposed to full-spectrum light through a sheet of rubylith. You have to change your sensitization process if you plan to do Becquerel development. There are a number of books out there that have an extensive description of the process - the Christopher James book and "Coming Into Focus" by John Barnier are both good references.

Click to expand...

So perhaps you can avoid the toxicity? Daguerrotypes aren't something I've looked into at all, aside from seeing mention of them here and there. I'm afraid the majority of alternative processes exceed both my skill and my budget!

With regard to the fires, I've been very fortunate thus far. I do live in a fire prone area but I'm right down in the south of the state so we've been spared the worst of the heat. Thank you for your thoughts.

I can most certainly sympathise with a lack of sleep (it's quarter past five in the morning here), however I'm not preparing myself to read a technical treatise in a second language so you're making far better use of your insomnia than I tend to do!

Enjoy your reading and best of luck with your new endeavour!

Dear Molli,

Rubylith and Becquerel terms are opened a new question. Can we develop ordinary modern film with that method.
I will open a new thread and post the link as I promised. Thank you for the tip.

Rubylith is red colored transparent film.

Becquerel daguerreotypes are developed using orange or red light over a period of a few hours. Often the film or plate holder used during exposure is covered by a red or orange film such as Rubylith. This is then exposed to the sun or under an incandescent lamp for several hours. With a well prepared and exposed plate the image can start to be seen within the first 15 minutes of development.

Umut