Latest Batch of JandC (Forte) Polywarmtone

[Scott Edwards]

FYI

I have been using JandC Polywarmtone Classic for years and the last 2 batches (from Forte) have a significantly warmer image tone than before. Perhaps their manufacturing has gone more to Bergger's specs. Also of note, is the difference in paper weight. While the newest paper from Forte is still double weight, it is not the triple or museum weight that we have come to enjoy. This does not pose any problems that I can foresee. The color shift in the emulsion, however, deserves some developer and toner tweaking to arrive at the results enjoyed in the past.

I used to use Agfa Neutol Wa with this paper and tone at 1:16 for 1.5 to 2 minutes for a split tone. Now I find that I can get the same results with Agfa Neutol Plus developer and tone at 1:16 for 3-3.5 minutes for the split.

Like I said, the same results can still be achieved with this paper, and I might add that this paper is second to none, for me, and in my experience, there is no substitute.

Let me know if you have had similar issues with the latest emulsion.

 

[Ian Grant]

John at J&C has posted before about recent Forte production.

As I'm based in Europe I buy elsewhere, in fact from Berlin, however Forte were as everyone knows having a restructure, not easy in a former Communist state. Basically lack of production after restructuring took place meant that films & papers had to be made available before their ideal maturity to meet demands.

Personally I bought a large supply of paper & film from Forte, and with a few months on the shelf they are just as before / previous production

I only use Polywarmtone, and yes new production paper is warmer, split-tones too fast, but actually let it age & it's the same old Polywarmtone, except the paper base has changed - stil looks the same but as the previous supplier has ceased production it's thinner.

Ian

 

[joeyk49]

John at J&C has posted before about recent Forte production.
Basically lack of production after restructuring took place meant that films & papers had to be made available before their ideal maturity to meet demands.

... but actually let it age & it's the same old Polywarmtone, except the paper base has changed - stil looks the same but as the previous supplier has ceased production it's thinner.

Ian

So photo paper needs to be thought of like wine??? It needs some time on the shelf before it reaches maturity? Doesn't this run counter to conventional wisdom, "Use it before it gets too old..."

Now, mind you, this doesn't bother me, because I'm cheap. I don't by fresh paper (I don't have paying clients). I usually pick at sales and grab stuff as it reaches or just past their expiration date. I'll keep this in mind with the J&C stuff...should mean that theirs will be good a lot longer past expiration...?

 

[Scott Edwards]

I'm not aware that papers have an expiration as such. I'm sure that there are storage criteria for prolonged usable life, but aside from that, hell...I've used paper that was 20 years old with no adverse effects.