LR Ilfoprint paper?

Requesting some help with how to use this paper, please. I was given a box load of old papers, that was being thrown out otherwise, and I have a box of LR Ilforprint LR3.26k Velvet Stipple Double Weight. Not sure how to use it. I tried it as I would normally develop fibre paper without any luck. I have done a search but not coming up with much at all. There was no info sheet inside the box either. I have found stuff on ilfo print machines but nothing about the paper. Does it need this machine to process? Any help is appreciated, thanks

Hi Ingi,

ILFOPRINT was an activator / stabiliser product I am almost sure, before my time though ( I joined ILFORD in 1987 ) surprised you got nothing in a conventional dev...I would just wave it a jaunty goodbye. Sorry

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology limited :

From http://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Ilford/Chronology.html

The Ilfoprint system is believed was introduced in 1960 (unconfirmed). It was primarily for press photographers and delivered a b&w damp dry stabilised print in about 40sec. The print could be made permanent with a 20min soak in fixer and a 30min wash. It relied on special paper that had the developing agent in the emulsion. The first bath of the machine was a caustic alkali solution that activated the developer, the second bath was conventional rapid fixer.

Click to expand...

Try mixing a solution of Sodium Hydroxide with a PH of somewhere between 10 to 13 and try developing a print for 30-60 seconds. It might work or it might not. You could also try a lith developer if you have some to hand.

For what it's worth, I've had some velvet stipple (not Ilfoprint) and love the surface for certain images.

If the papers still OK it'll work in ordinary print developer and very quickly I used it and the Agfa equivalent Rapidoprint in the 1970's, and later I had an Ilfoprint processor.

Ilfoprint was replaced by Ilfospeed and for volume commercial work the Ilfospeed processors, but few people realised the first generation of Ilfospeed would process perfectly in an Ilfoprint machine as well. I used my machine for a few years with a Developer of just Sodium hydroxidew with some Sodium Sulphite and a little potassium bromide. Then Ilford removed the incorprated developing agent from the revised Ilfospeed and it would no longer work.

Chances are it's gone off, it would be less stable than a plain bromide paper so won't keep that well over a long period of time.

Ian

Thanks so much for your replies. The print showed nothing in normal developer. The paper is a beige colour both front and back after being developed and fixed. (Developed in Dektol.) Does colour indicate off-ness? I will have a go with alternate developer, Paul. I have some normal velvet stipple and love the surface. If the paper is off could it still be used in some alternate processes?

thanks Simon, I was hoping I wasnt using it correctly rather than it not working anymore...nevermind. I will need to find another use for it. cheers

If the paper base has gone beige front & back it's totally useless. It's possibly like taht before processing.

Ian

Well I discovered that I have 8 boxes of this type of paper in the mystery box i was given. So I tested a couple of papers from the top, bottom and middle out of every box. Something I noticed was that all the 8 x 10 boxes, the paper was beige in colour (front and back) straight out of the box. All but one box I got an image out of within 2min development in dektol. I even tried a handlful of washing soda in a tray and got an image with that as well. The larger papers 11 x 14 (same type and description) were white/off white out of the packets, and developed as normal. in comparison the some of the beige boxes once developed looked muddy but a couple of them once dried, the highlights were just a tad warmer than the white paper. I have now put an example of each box into a scrapbook and the highlights range from normal to slightly warm to really muddy. If anything it was an interesting test. Thanks again for the help...cheers