RC paper suitable for lith beginner? (UK)

I'd like to try out lith printing, and want to keep things simple and as inexpensive as possible until I can see whether it's something I want to pursue more extensively.

Looking at various threads on the subject of lith papers, they tend to become wide-ranging discussions of what will and won't lith and what various people think is "best", but my question is really very specific

My darkroom skills are rather of the "basic competence" level, and I would prefer to avoid FB paper as I have nil experience using it yet, and don't feel confident about doing so even in normal processing for the time being.

I realise that some papers will lith and others won't, and that different papers produce different tones, and that formulations change and so on and so forth. In short, I do realise that it's not an exact science!

I have some Fomalux RC, Ilford MG IV, and Kentmere VC on hand, but as I understand things the Ilford/Harman papers won't lith.

Googling suggests that Fomatone MG PE(RC) will lith, but I wondered about others.

So ... are there any current (readily available in the UK) RC papers that will lith?

I would advise NOT using Ilford MGIV for lith straight up, it just turns black within a couple of seconds, BUT, I believe if you make a "normal" print on it, bleach it out, and THEN redevelop it in lith developer you should get a result.

Also, look into age fogged papers for lith printing, most of my RC lith prints are made on otherwise useless (due to age fog) Kodak Polymax III paper.

Good luck

Freestyle has Arista EDU ultra VCFB for about half the price of Fomatone and Arista A&B lith developer for cheap as well. I dont know of any RC papers that you can do lith process with.

I have used FOMA RC warm tone with great success.

Lith printing is generally more contrasty than regular so I find that a negative that is over exposed will work better than a normal negative.

I've had some degree of success with Kentmere VC Select. It is worth experimenting with bleach/redevelopment (tip: you need to over-expose quite a bit before developing to completion in the first developer). Using a copper bleach(*) produces some interesting colours, but you do have to watch the snatch point very carefully.


Copper bleach
Copper sulphate 5g
Sulphuric acid 30% (battery acid) 2ml
Sodium chloride 5g
Water to make 100ml

Always add acid to water.
In use, dilute one part stock to around ten parts water. Bleach back the print and redevelop in a dilute developer.

I saw someone lith print on ilford Warmtone RC a year or so back. It took ages to get to the snatch point but gave a very nice result. However, don't let unfamiliarity with fibre paper put you off trying it - it might make the lith printing easier.

Your best bet for lith printing on rc would be the Foma tone warm tone rc, it is the same emulsion as the fomatone FB and that is one of the best available Lith papers, it is available from Silverprint and AG photographic
Richard

Dear pdeeh,

Try kentmere. I assume it's handy in the UK.

Neal Wydra

hmm that's a just a tiny bit too general an answer to be entirely useful, Neal

Dear pdeeh,

I have used lith developer with the Kentmere RC vairable contrast glossy that is available in the United States. It would surprise me if the graded emulsion would not work as well.

Neal Wydra

Fomatone MG PE/RC (or FB.) Slavich Bromportrait 80.

Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions.

I think I might have a go with some FB after all - having just developed a few sheets of Harman DP this evening, it's not as difficult to handle as I feared, albeit that it was in 5x4 rather than the 10x8 I'd prefer to be using for lith.

The issue of setting up for washing FB remains a bit irritating, though, (it's a faff to set up stacked trays in the sink, which is all I can think to do ... but that's a subject well covered elsewhere, of course)