Oriental Warmtone Base Color

[Richard Jepsen]

Oriental replaced Forte Polywarmtone Plus as my base paper. However, there seems to be two different paper tints. One paper/emulsion tint is significantly warmer than the other. This emulsion leans towards brown on a chamois base and tones to red very fast in KRST. The other emulsion is cooler and similar to the tone of Polywarmtone Plus.

Which is the current production emulsion? Just who makes Oriental?

 

[dpurdy]

Someone else just made the same observation a short while ago. With his paper the warmer base was on the newer emulsion number. Is that the same in your case?

 

[Andrew Moxom]

Current production runs of WT Oriental should be a bright white paper base, and should produce nice warm tones. Th eolder emulsions were on the chamois almost like eggshell base. I believe oriental paper is made by the company of the same name in Japan. It could be made for them by Mitsubishi or Fuji... or they may make it themselves! Not sure which

 

[eclarke]

The Ilford WT FB is my paper of choice and it seems the most expensive. How does the Oriental WT compare to the Ilford?..Evan Clarke

 

[dpurdy]

Evan, in my experience they are identical. I used to use the Ilford and then switched to the Oriental a couple years ago after a lot of testing and some say they can see a difference but I would put a lot of money on shuffling a stack of prints together and your not being able to tell a difference.

 

[Richard Jepsen]

Oriental with the white base separates low tones a tad better than Ilford WT and prints about 1/2 zone less on the lighter scale. In other words Oriental has a shorter contrast curve. Both papers are about the same speed and both tone well. Oriental has a whiter base. Prints made last night remind me of Polywarmtone Plus in KRST. Warm silver/grey highlights with slight plum low tones.

 

[dpurdy]

Oriental with the white base separates low tones a tad better than Ilford WT and prints about 1/2 zone less on the lighter scale. In other words Oriental has a shorter contrast curve. Both papers are about the same speed and both tone well. Oriental has a whiter base. Prints made last night remind me of Polywarmtone Plus in KRST. Warm silver/grey highlights with slight plum low tones.

Not in my experience. It might depend on the developer you use. The base of Oriental is definitely not brighter than Ilford unless you are talking about older Ilford WT.
Dennis

 

[dmcmahon]

Oriental with the white base separates low tones a tad better than Ilford WT and prints about 1/2 zone less on the lighter scale. In other words Oriental has a shorter contrast curve. Both papers are about the same speed and both tone well. Oriental has a whiter base. Prints made last night remind me of Polywarmtone Plus in KRST. Warm silver/grey highlights with slight plum low tones.

I have found this to be true also. I used to use Ilford and switched to Oriental about 2-3 years ago. I have found the whites cleaner and the contrast better. Also it tones very well in selenium.

david mcmahon

 

[Richard Jepsen]

Yes, I was refering to Ilford WT. Note, Oriental has two base color tints currently circulating. The lighter base is what I prefer. My description is based on Dektol as the paper developer. I tone Oriental in KRST 1:10 for 60 -90s; to cool the image and intensify low tones.

Oriental's VC FB II warmer base was on 8x10 25 sheet packages. 659096881262* 0803F524-12U3. This paper is much slower than the cooler base.

The cooler base VC FB II was a 8x10 100 sheet package. 65909683116?? 06K81302.

 

[cesrig]

Oriental's VC FB II warmer base was on 8x10 25 sheet packages. 659096881262* 0803F524-12U3. This paper is much slower than the cooler base.

Yeah, you have a pack from the same batch I had. Previously I had been using 8x10 25 sheet packs which had the bright base but a different emulsion number. Pretty irritating that aside from the emulsion number both are labeled exactly the same.

 

[Richard Jepsen]

I would not be surprised if coating consolidation is happening. Kentmere products may be transitioning to Harman plants. If so, the emulsion would be just a tad different. Same may be true with Oriental although the base tint color is paper support in addition to a possible emulsion change.

I find Foma and EMAKs are also fine papers. Restrict the time illuminated under an OA safelight if that is what you use. Red is the correct safelight.