Matte vs Glossy FB

[noumin]

After having a look at a Caponigro book which was printed on matt paper,
I decided I had to try out matt FB paper myself just to see if I might like it - I liked it,
I haven't done any printing "Un-Ferrotyped Glossy FB Paper" since then (that's many years).

Matt paper cannot render a deep black, deep black. On a glossy print you can have those
deep vibrant blacks, on a matt print this doesn't look too exciting, so make sure you expose
your shadows properly.

Matt paper behind glas is gorgeous. If you look at a "Un-Ferrotyped Glossy FB Paper" behind glas
you will still see the ripples of the surface - you're looking AT the picture, on a matt paper behind glas
there's no more surface, you look right INTO the picture

On matt paper a picture looks more restrained, delicate maybe, than on glossy paper, I
would say "A glossy picture shouts, where a matt picture whispers", so, maybe, matt paper
is not for everything, maybe it just suits my style of photography more than the glossy variety.

And yes, forget about matt RC paper, it's not worth the effort.

 

[Martin Aislabie]

Historically I have always used air dried glossy FB

Some years ago I tried some Matt Ilford Warm Tone FB and thought it truly dreadful stuff – dry-down killed the shadows and left them flat dull and lifeless

However, I recently picked up quite a lot of Warm Tone FB at a not to be missed price (I am a sucker for a good deal on Paper)

With enough stock to play with I tried again and made a better go of it this time.

Having learned how to print on FB Matt I am now not sure if I prefer Matt to air dried Glass.

It is certainly different to Glass, requires a different approach to printing and suites some subjects really well

So its back to the old conundrum of - Does it work for you?

Martin

 

[dancqu]

I didn't know that, i always thought FB paper required
a dedicated print washer.

That's a shame, an impression left by many that the
'Proper' way to wash FB requires more than some little
expenditure of time and money. And that's not to mention
the huge amount of water used by any of the dedicated
print washers.

There are better alternatives. Many posts this NG by myself
and others suggest alternative little cost or no cost, little water
consuming, ways to wash. Also dry. The current "Flattening ... "
thread at Darkroom should be given a look. There I've
detailed a wash procedure which uses a Least amount
of water. Check that out and some of my and other's
posts dealing with the subject.

Often posted subjects, FB washing and drying.
Where have you been? Dan

 

[Simon R Galley]

Dear All,

We refer to un-glossed / un-finished ie un-ferrotyped FB paper as Glossy / Unglazed : Which I guess must be about 95% of what is actually produced today

Simon. ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited

 

[msdemanche]

Ok, I have tried to ferrotype glossy but I find that the reflections can be strange sometimes. I use matt for subjects that need to be softer and denser in appearance. I do not think that the matt actually causes real resolution changes, it just makes the image more opaque and as such the illusion of sharp edges are less visible. I choose matt for some of my images of animals (check out my APUG portfolio under Michel Demanche), the graphic qaulity of the image is brutal and the matt does not add to the harshness. As for RC matt, I would not touch it. It kills the image. If students show up the first day of class with matt, I send them back to the store before they open the package.

Michel Demanche

 

[PVia]

Don't forget that matte is what most of the alt process prints are on, of course due to the fact that they're on printmaking or watercolor paper rather than a paper made specifically for photographic purposes. Many alt prints have a special quality due not only to the process itself, but for the beautiful surfaces that are available.

But as Richard Benson once said, the world is full of well-executed poorly conceived photographs...regardless of the surface, the image is still the thing, and a beautiful surface (or process) doesn't save a crappy picture ;-)

 

[Bigpaul]

I agree with the comment that the true potential of glossy fb is only fully realised with ferrotyping. A ferrotyped glossy fb should not be confused with a glossy rc print........the (correctly) ferrotyped print is a true thing of beauty, without the slightly hazy gloss that rc prints exhibit; it is such a shame that glazing seems to have all but disappeared over the horizon, especially as there is clearly a big appetite for glossy prints! Of course, all finishes have their place, and indeed unglazed fb glossy has a look all its own too, but I find that most of my favourite prints are glazed fb.

 

[pesphoto]

How does one ferrotype glaze fiber prints?

edit: nevermind...i looked it up. thanks

 

[dancqu]

I agree with the comment that the true potential
of glossy fb is only fully realised with ferrotyping.

I seem to recall having ONLY ferrotyped paper.
That was many years ago. I wonder at it's demise
as it was so universally practiced. And with no difficulty.
Perhaps it is today's hardened emulsions? IIRC Steve Anchell
recommends a different formula HCA when ferrotyping. Dan