New own-brand paper from Germany

[mooseontheloose]

Thanks for the update Rachelle. Does the supplier / vendor offer any kind of data sheet for the paper?

Let me check when I get back home. I've got a few boxes of the Silverchrome and I don't think I've thrown the data sheets away (tbh, I never look at them).

Hey, @mooseontheloose ! I have just read the whole thread again and found an old post of yours, from around March 2020, saying that you would “work from home for the next four months”. How did that end up? I thought the same at that time and I’m still mostly working from home!

I'm a uni prof, so the first semester (April-July) was completely online, and the second semester (Oct-Jan) was as well, although I had to go in once a week for a single class (the university's way of bowing to parent/student pressure to have some kind of f2f interaction - so one class a week was allowed). This year, I've basically been back to work as usual, although of course everyone has to be masked up and temps are taken upon arrival on campus. Windows and doors are kept open which is good on the one hand, but sucks on the other as most teachers need to use a mic now to be heard through their masks, which means a lot of distracting noise coming into the class. But as a teacher I much prefer teaching in person than online, it's much easier to see if the students need help, are progressing at a good rate, and if they actually understand and laugh at my jokes.

 

[mooseontheloose]

Thanks for the update Rachelle. Does the supplier / vendor offer any kind of data sheet for the paper?

Here's what was in the box. Interestingly, it's in both English and Japanese, something I'm not used to with Japanese papers (as most are for the Japanese market only). It also included a small digital negative with an explanation on the second page, I'm including that here as well.

 

[miha]

@mooseontheloose thank you, most interesting, ISO range and ISO speeds are identical to those of the Ilford Multigrade FB IV paper.

 

[pentaxuser]

It now appears that a large U.K. retailer called Silverprint now stocks it. The RC version has the same weight as IlfordPhoto Portfolio. I did a quick check on its price for 100 sheets of 5x7 compared to IlfordPhoto's own price rice and for the same size Portfolio stock and it is nearly £30 cheaper which is amazing.

A long time ago Henning Serger confirmed it was made by one of the 3 existing coaters as follows:


"There is no new "Silverchrome photo paper factory" installed. Just to be clear for those who might have hoped for another new coating plant.
The paper is produced by one of the established photo paper manufacturers for this brand"

Henning would not be drawn further into revealing which of the 3 it was or did not know

So the question it makes me ask is: Has this stuff been produced to a lower spec and if so what difference or differences are there and what in practical terms will this mean for the user?

All I can say is that it has to be to a considerably lower spec and have real disadvantages to negate this massive price difference

pentaxuser

 

[AgX]

A long time ago Henning Serger confirmed ...

I wonder what kind of authority Henning Serger is to "confirm" anthing.



Concerning the characeristics if this "new" paper, Rachelle seems our only hope.

 

[Joerg Bergs]

Henning is a management consultant and lives in a bubble equipped with marketing brochures and likes to act by awarding contracts.

The silverchrome paper has the same speed like the FOMABROM VARIANT III with a another base. I have some samples in my darkroom and will show some results if I find some time.

 

[foc]

Henning is a management consultant and lives in a bubble equipped with marketing brochures and likes to act by awarding contracts

And do you have more knowledge of the industry?

 

[gone]

Hopefully the paper isn't exactly like the Foma Variant III. I had fogging issues w/ a red safelight that had never caused issues w/ other papers. The papers worked fine once I dimmed the light to the point where I could barely see, but their thinness caused a few small kinks on some prints. I had to be careful handling them, more careful than w/ the Ilford papers.

 

[Mike Crawford]

Um..... anyone actually used the paper and have an opinion of the results? Sounds like it could be Variant, though looking at the prices on Silverprint website, I see it is mostly available in boxes of 25. Also, it is about 50% more expensive that Variant from my usual suppliers and almost 25% more than Ilford MGFB Classic.

 

[pentaxuser]

Um..... anyone actually used the paper and have an opinion of the results? Sounds like it could be Variant, though looking at the prices on Silverprint website, I see it is mostly available in boxes of 25. Also, it is about 50% more expensive that Variant from my usual suppliers and almost 25% more than Ilford MGFB Classic.

Mike, which size are you referring to and where do you get your Ilford MGFB Classic? I have just had another look at Silverprint prices for 5x7 100 sheet boxes and

MGFB is £56.39 and Ilford Silverchrome Flexgrade RC is £35.83

Yes it is more expensive than the new Ilford RC MG Deluxe but on the above prices, it is £20 cheaper than MGFB and has the weight of Ilford Portfolio RC and is only 5g per square metre lighter than FB and £28 cheaper than the same size Portfolio paper which like FB is 5g heavier per square meter

Frankly it looks a bargain to me. So much so that I wondered what it lacks in my earlier post To pay the difference for FB or its equivalent RC, namely Portfolio it would have to lack something pretty substantial

pentaxuser

 

[Mike Crawford]

Mike, which size are you referring to and where do you get your Ilford MGFB Classic? I have just had another look at Silverprint prices for 5x7 100 sheet boxes and

MGFB is £56.39 and Ilford Silverchrome Flexgrade RC is £35.83

Yes it is more expensive than the new Ilford RC MG Deluxe but on the above prices, it is £20 cheaper than MGFB and has the weight of Ilford Portfolio RC and is only 5g per square metre lighter than FB and £28 cheaper than the same size Portfolio paper which like FB is 5g heavier per square meter

Frankly it looks a bargain to me. So much so that I wondered what it lacks in my earlier post To pay the difference for FB or its equivalent RC, namely Portfolio it would have to lack something pretty substantial

pentaxuser

Hi there. Was comparing the prices of Silverchrome 12x16 FB to Forma Variant FB and Ilford Mutigrade FB Classic on the Process Supplies website which is a great shop and online seller in London. Was careful with the calculator as Silverchrome only available in boxes of 25 while Forma and Ilford in 50. I make it, Silverchrome is £3.36 a sheet, Forma £2.14 and Ilford £2.83 per sheet. All including VAT. I understand that paper will be more expensive in smaller quantities. It's always a decision to make if I need to make one 20x24" print on Ilford Warmtone and have run out. A box of 50 sheets is £436 but only 10 sheets are £110. I really need to put my prices up! As a photographic printer, I'm all for new products, and have been involved in the past testing different papers in R&D, though agree there is unlikely to be a Silverchrome factory making it, so difficult to buy it just to try it out!

 

[pentaxuser]

Maybe it's the old but true story that some prices for X material in certain sizes are lower at some retailers than others. My general impression is that Silverprint is not cheaper for a range of goods but for some reason its Silverchrome in 5x7 is much cheaper than the similar paper of Ilford Portfolio

pentaxuser

 

[Joerg Bergs]

And do you have more knowledge of the industry?

I´m the owner of germans “MeinFilmLab“. I have direct contacts to kodak, fuji and Ilford.

 

[pentaxuser]

Maybe it's the old but true story that some prices for X material in certain sizes are lower at some retailers than others. My general impression is that Silverprint is not cheaper for a range of goods but for some reason its Silverchrome in 5x7 is much cheaper than the similar paper of Ilford Portfolio

pentaxuser

It has been suggested to me on another forum called FADU which I have always found to be one not given to making baseless comments that I was maybe not comparing "like with like". That is to say the Silverchrome paper is not in fact the same weight as Ilford Portfolio but that it is quoting its weight on a different basis

I just don't know nor am I sure of how to get a like for like comparison. These days honesty seems to be relative concept not an absolute one. A description while not being a lie due to the way it is described may nevertheless not be the whole truth

It would at least explain why Silverchrome seemingly heavier paper than Ilford RC MG Deluxe is on a like for like basis not the equivalent of Ilford Portfolio and thus is not a bargain in price

pentaxuser, still confused

 

[foc]

I´m the owner of germans “MeinFilmLab“. I have direct contacts to kodak, fuji and Ilford.

I also used to have direct access to Fuji, Ilford, and Kodak before I retired from my lab and professional studio a few years ago. But I would never rubbish or belittle any other person with industry knowledge.

 

[MattKing]

It has been suggested to me on another forum called FADU which I have always found to be one not given to making baseless comments that I was maybe not comparing "like with like". That is to say the Silverchrome paper is not in fact the same weight as Ilford Portfolio but that it is quoting its weight on a different basis

Well, the Silverprint site indicates that the weight of the Silverchrome RC paper is 240 gm/sm and the Ilford Portfolio RC paper is 255 gm/sm. Both of which are significantly heavier than the 190 gm/sm for the standard Ilford MG "Classic" paper.
So you have apples, oranges and grapes .

 

[pentaxuser]

Well, the Silverprint site indicates that the weight of the Silverchrome RC paper is 240 gm/sm and the Ilford Portfolio RC paper is 255 gm/sm. Both of which are significantly heavier than the 190 gm/sm for the standard Ilford MG "Classic" paper.
So you have apples, oranges and grapes .

Thanks Matt. It's that very kind of three fruits that worries me in the sense of getting to the truth Can we be sure that Silverprint is quoting like for like weights. If it is then while not as heavy as Portfolio it comes close and is considerably heavier than MG RC Deluxe and you have turned it back into a bargain paper in my book

IlfordPhoto wants almost as much for its same size and quantity MG RC Deluxe as Silverprint's Silverchrome

You can clearly feel the difference in weight with Portfolio v MG Deluxe so would a paper many £s cheaper than PortFolio but slightly lighter be noticeably lighter. I somehow doubt it

Next question is the emulsion the same as the new Deluxe or is it the old stock equivalent of MGIV? Presumably if this stuff in still being made by Harman Technology for Silverchrome then by now it will be the new emulsion

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

Presumably if this stuff in still being made by Harman Technology for Silverchrome then by now it will be the new emulsion

It is not clear to me that this is the case.

 

[pentaxuser]

It is not clear to me that this is the case.

No it is not clear to me either and if it ever becomes clear in the form of a definitive statement from an unimpeachable source, then I fear it will not be the direct result of this thread's deliberations - good "knock about" stuff tho' it may be

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

Does anybody have a current box with a "Made in ...." declaration on the label? If so, what does it say?
mooseontheloose?

 

[mooseontheloose]

Does anybody have a current box with a "Made in ...." declaration on the label? If so, what does it say?
mooseontheloose?

Matt, I'll go have a look at my stash once I get home later today.