Question on RC paper

I was given a stack of boxes of RC paper. Stacked up, it would reach my waist line. 16x20 down to 5x7. Most is outdated. I spent a couple of days testing each box for fogging( by standard developing)and found a couple packs was fogged. I think all that was fogged was boxes that had been opened.

Other than standard printing and developing, is there anything I can do with them, like an alternative process???

I have played with Caffenol on film and had good results.

Can I tone RC? I do have Sepia toner that was also given at the same time.
I don't want to spend a whole day in the darkroom trying something if it won't work at all with RC.
I'm not lazy but I do want to try something different if it will work with this paper.
I have printed a bunch from them using old negatives I have had for years and they look very good.

Anyone with a knowledge base on RC paper that have used an alternative process would be appreciated.

Any ideas????

Thanks
Richard

If the fogging isn't too bad, a bit of benzotriazole , in the developer, can help.
Every RC paper I've used tones, although I rarely print on RC. My experience is mostly with Ilford products.

Don't judge the box based on the top sheet alone. For some reason the top sheet often performs differently than the rest of the box when a box is left alone for a long time.

Consider lith printing, if you have the time.

For the bigger shets, consider overprinting (ie deeper tones than normal) and bleaching the fog and overexposure back using ferricyanide bleaching.

eddie said:

If the fogging isn't too bad, a bit of benzotriazole , in the developer, can help.
Every RC paper I've used tones, although I rarely print on RC. My experience is mostly with Ilford products.

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Hey Eddie

Years ago, I never liked RC but since I have so much now, I would like to use it. I've printed about all I can with old negatives over the years.

I like the old brown look and I think I'll mix up a pack of sepia toner today and play with that. It seems like I remember RC would tone a little but it has been a long time. I can remember when RC was first introduced on the market. Can't remember who the first mfg. was but it was advertised as being the best thing since sliced bread.



There was only a couple of short boxes that was fogged and since I have so much, it wouldn't be worth the time to fix it.

Thanks

Richard

Yes, you can tone RC paper. Paper base has nothing to do with emulsion's response to toning agents. Many neutral paper, RC or FB do not accept toning very well though. You'll just have to test and see if your particular brand/type is one of them.

What brand/type do you have?

Mike Wilde said:

Don't judge the box based on the top sheet alone. For some reason the top sheet often performs differently than the rest of the box when a box is left alone for a long time.

Consider lith printing, if you have the time.

For the bigger shets, consider overprinting (ie deeper tones than normal) and bleaching the fog and overexposure back using ferricyanide bleaching.

Click to expand...

Hey Mike
I have been close to pushing the button on ordering Lith developer but I have never used it and not much use in getting some for a paper that I don't know would work for it.

I have so much RC paper now, that I think I'll order some and try it. I have wanted to try lith style and I think I would dedicate my darkroom just for that, if I knew it would work with RC. I have done some research on lith and I understand it for FB paper but haven't heard very little about RC with it.

The fogged stuff was in short numbers in a couple of boxes. Not worth the effort with what was left.

Thanks
Richard

tkamiya said:

Yes, you can tone RC paper. Paper base has nothing to do with emulsion's response to toning agents. Many neutral paper, RC or FB do not accept toning very well though. You'll just have to test and see if your particular brand/type is one of them.

What brand/type do you have?

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Hey
What I have is Kodabromide ll, old Arista, Ultrafine ( no idea of who made this ), Ilford Multigrade lll, Kodak Polycontrast. All in various sizes. About 1/2 is graded, other variable contrast.

I'll mix up some Sepia today and play with that since that is the only toner I have at the present time.
It's been so many years since I've toned anything, I couldn't remember if RC was capable or not.

Thanks
Richard

It is good that there is so little fogging but have you tried printing with the Ilford MGIII? MGIII is now very old and some I was given had little or no fog but had lost quite a bit of contrast.

The effect was to give a different look which was fine for some prints but certainly if a neg had required a higher contrast then I would have had a problem.

pentaxuser

pentaxuser said:

It is good that there is so little fogging but have you tried printing with the Ilford MGIII? MGIII is now very old and some I was given had little or no fog but had lost quite a bit of contrast.

The effect was to give a different look which was fine for some prints but certainly if a neg had required a higher contrast then I would have had a problem.

pentaxuser

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Hey pentaxuser

I just looked at the boxes, 11x14 and 8x10, and the notes I had written on the boxes. Both boxes showed good. I didn't note any contrast change. I don't think I could tell if there was a change since I don't have any to compare with.

I just today mixed up some Sepia toner and put a few prints that I had printed, and they looked very good as far as toning. I used a couple of prints from Ultrafine ( no idea whose paper ) and they came out a chocolate brown. Nice, since I like that tone. I also toned some fiber Adox MCC 110 that I had just recently bought. I didn't care for the color of those
with Sepia toner.

I'll try the Ilford stuff tomorrow and see how that works out.

Richard

RichardH said:

Other than standard printing and developing, is there anything I can do with them, like an alternative process???

Any ideas????

Thanks
Richard

Click to expand...

There are loads of things you can do with this paper. The first that comes to mind is lumen printing. Check out the alternative photography site. You could also fog them, develop to black and draw on the emulsion and then reverse them, or how about using them as photogram and pinhole material.

cliveh said:

There are loads of things you can do with this paper. The first that comes to mind is lumen printing. Check out the alternative photography site. You could also fog them, develop to black and draw on the emulsion and then reverse them, or how about using them as photogram and pinhole material.

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Hey Cliveh
I have a lot of potential use of the paper from the post here. I will try the lumen way first.
I toned a few this morning and they turned out great. It made my day with this. So much paper, so little time to try everything. I am ordering some lith dev. and since I have so many different brands and types, it will be fun using it.
Things have changed so much since I last had a darkroom that it is scarry.
I went to a local art and framing company the other day to get some mounting and framing things. I asked the lady if they had any dry mount tissue. She looked at me like I came over on the ark. After a little search in her stock book, she said they did have some. It was 5 ft. wide x ????. I bought about 10ft and paid her .60 a ft. She said they use foam board now. I guess my dry mount press is all most antique now.

Anyway, I'll keep playing with the RC and see what comes of it.

Thanks
Richard

RichardH said:

I guess my dry mount press is all most antique now.

Anyway, I'll keep playing with the RC and see what comes of it.

Thanks
Richard

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Your dry mount press maybe antique, but if you try lumen printing, may I suggest that if using flowers, you use this press to squeeze the flowers onto the unexposed paper in a black bag between two sheets of board prior to exposure. If you do this in the spring as flowers blossom, the flower juice will run into the paper giving you some beautiful coloured effects.

When you try the Ilford paper the test is easy. Just apply filters 1-5 to the print. You will either find that each print shows a different contrast in which case Hurrah or you will find that the prints will not respond fully to each successive grade and will print alike and run out of contrast.

If the paper responds as it should between grades 2-3.5 then unless the negs haven't been exposed or developed as they should be and will need rescuing at say grade 4-5 but won't print as they should at these grades then you know that there is some loss of contrast.

Even grey prints i.e. not showing full blacks or bright whites can look OK sometimes in my opinion.


pentaxuser

pentaxuser said:

When you try the Ilford paper the test is easy. Just apply filters 1-5 to the print. You will either find that each print shows a different contrast in which case Hurrah or you will find that the prints will not respond fully to each successive grade and will print alike and run out of contrast.

If the paper responds as it should between grades 2-3.5 then unless the negs haven't been exposed or developed as they should be and will need rescuing at say grade 4-5 but won't print as they should at these grades then you know that there is some loss of contrast.

Even grey prints i.e. not showing full blacks or bright whites can look OK sometimes in my opinion.


pentaxuser

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Hey again
I'll try that with all the VC papers using this method. Very good project to do. I print with a color head but I do have a bunch of different brands of filters that can be used. Or maybe just dial in the magenta and make small test pieces.

Thanks
Richard

> If the fogging isn't too bad, a bit of benzotriazole , in the developer, can help.

Or, much easier, process it in heavily used developer. It contains lots of bromide which reduces fog. If there remains some light fog in the highlights weak Farmer's reducer may help.

piu58 said:

> If the fogging isn't too bad, a bit of benzotriazole , in the developer, can help.

Or, much easier, process it in heavily used developer. It contains lots of bromide which reduces fog. If there remains some light fog in the highlights weak Farmer's reducer may help.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info

In the next couple of days, I am going to go back through the boxes and check again for fog and at the same time also check for contrast change. Someone in a recent post about this told how I could check for change in contrast.
It will be time well spent since I have so many boxes and packs. I think at the time I check each one, I'll tape the piece to the box so I know exactly what the paper looks like as far as texture and weight.

Thanks
Richard