New Art Paper! Freestyle's Arista Silver Artist Series Paper

[zsas]

Wormhole....

 

[Roger Cole]

I have a further report on response to brown toner, or rather lack of same.

I made three identical prints of the image linked below on this paper. I had some full mixed-by-the-label strength brown toner I'd mixed up the week before for different paper. My darkroom temperature was 75F, liquids about a degree cooler as usual so 74. I toned one of the prints for 10 minutes with no change. I've always found my very dilute brown toner is only good the day it's mixed but someone here had reported much better keeping qualities at full strength so I had gone ahead and tried this. Seeing no change after 10 minutes I mixed up a totally fresh batch and toned for another 10 minutes.

While the prints were wet I could convince myself I saw a very slight color change. The Silver Artist was still cooler than untoned MGWT, but looked slightly warmer than the untoned Silver Artist. Slightly. After washing and drying I can no longer convince myself that I can tell which is the toned print. One looks to be very slightly lower density when they were all exposed at the same exposure and developed in the same tray of developer one right after the other, so that might be the result of toning. It's so slight it would only be noticeable in direct side by side comparison and even then I'm not sure of it.

This paper just does not respond to brown toner. I may try bleach and redevelop sepia next. The texture and look of this paper cry out for a way to make it at least slightly warm tone.

All that said, it still has a really nice look for some images. Here is the one I was working from (un-toned) posted to Flickr in a pretty high res scan. If you right click and select the largest size you can see the surface texture pretty well. I liked this because the occasional lens flare of the Yashicamat seemed to work for this image. I'm thinking of re-titling it "The Light of Music" because the flare looks like he's blowing light right out of the sousaphone.


JazzMusician1 by Roger Cole, on Flickr

 

[Roger Cole]

For those who instantly liked this then faced the prospect of never getting any more with the demise of Fotokimeka, in the current industry snapshot I just received from Freestyle Eric Joseph says:

"We are currently in research and development with Foma to continue production of our Arista Silver Artist Series papers utilizing Fomabrom and Fomatone emulsions on 100% cotton fine art paper base. But until then, we have the original Fotokemika produced paper coated with Fotokemika Varycon variable contrast black and white emulsion available in limited sizes and quantities in BFK Rives Grey, BFK Rives Cream and Platine White."

I don't see any of these papers he ways they have on their web site, except the Silver Artist in gray, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. He told me in a previous email when I asked about Silver Artist as Efke was dying that no one else could coat paper as thick as what they were using. Maybe Foma will be able to, or maybe they can make something very similar that's just a bit thinner.

 

[Jimturner]

Bought some of this paper a few weeks ago. Began testing it last eve. There are black marks in straight, mechanical lines across the prints (11 x 14) that are not unlike inkjet printer marks where the rollers of the printer have become contaminated and produce straight, mechanical lines across the print, including the border areas (under the easel leaves). These black marks extend the the entirety of the width of the 11 x 14. They are not always in exactly the same place but generally so. There are several lines, not just one.

 

[zsas]

Jim - Welcome to Apug! Sorry to hear of the issue! I'd be sure to give Freestyle a call for a replacement. I've not printed from this second batch that Freestyle started shipping out recently (Oct/Nov). The first batch was BFK Rives base paper and the new stock is Arches. Both were coated at Fotokemika, who I believe no longer coats b/w paper. Let us know your outcome!

 

[Mahler_one]

Knowing Eric at Freestyle suggests that you will have a rapid and correct resolution of any issues regarding the paper.

Let us know how things work out.

Elliot

 

[Roger Cole]

Bought some of this paper a few weeks ago. Began testing it last eve. There are black marks in straight, mechanical lines across the prints (11 x 14) that are not unlike inkjet printer marks where the rollers of the printer have become contaminated and produce straight, mechanical lines across the print, including the border areas (under the easel leaves). These black marks extend the the entirety of the width of the 11 x 14. They are not always in exactly the same place but generally so. There are several lines, not just one.

Ouch! I bought a pack of the 11x14 just before Fotokimeka folded, but haven't opened it. I'm guarding it jealously since I only have the one pack in 11x14 and the remains of my pack of 8x10. Maybe I should make at least one test print just to be sure this isn't a batch problem and I don't have bad paper too. That would really be...unpleasant. But it's only a 10 sheet pack.

Knowing Eric at Freestyle suggests that you will have a rapid and correct resolution of any issues regarding the paper.

Let us know how things work out.

Elliot

They'll probably credit you for the paper, but that doesn't help get any more. That's assuming it's the white stuff - the grey it looks like they still have in stock.