silver prints - which grade paper?

[mhartel]

this is my first time posting - so hello all... recently I just got frustrated with the quality of my inkjet prints vs. my (older) silver gelatin prints and contact sheets - metamerism, bronzing, the whole nine of inkjet prints... mind you, the prints are nice, especially under tungsten light, but I just can't get the idea of a silver print out of my head.

After some research I decided to give the "inkjet negative" w/ gelatin silver contact prints a spin and stumbled upon this forum...

I got rid of my darkroom equipment about two years ago and I'm looking into building a "bare bones" contact printing darkroom in my tiny bathroom.

All things given, I looked into the technical issues, including Kevin Bjorkes Chart Throb (hello&thanks Kevin), but I'm wondering which paper to use... I'm finally thinking to use graded paper... now, since I'd have a "perfect" negative - which grade would you suggest? I have seen an older post which suggests grade 2 <i>or</i> 3. actually, a friend of mine suggests grade 2 and another one grade 3... both great photogrphers and darkroom printers. yes, I could try... but what is the best grade paper from your experience?

http://www.markushartel.com/blog

 

[mkochsch]

Grades of Silver

It's a good question about which grade to use. I just finished creating an animated gif from my HSB-Array step wedge to variable contrast paper (Agfa MC). The results are posted below.

Dead Link Removed

There is an argument to be made for grade #1 having the largest range or palette of tones, but would the human eye be able to detect a difference between that and a digital negative tailor to grade #3, or even #4? #5 might be pushing it a little, but in theory "the curve" should even stretch the tones of a grade #5 evenly across.
So then the argument or choice becomes technical. It's certainly easier to make a digital negative for a #5 paper (or VC filtered with a #5 magenta). Hopefully it doesn't end up looking like a photocopy. Maybe some of the Silver experts can chime in...

~m

 

[Bob Carnie]

Though I am not using contact method, for printing from digital files onto fibre paper we are using Ilford Galerie G 4 with an extended red sensitivity for silver prints.
When we use cibachrome for digital files we are using the most contrasty of the 3 emulsions available.
the PS masking corrects for the highlight and shadow areas.
Don't know if this helps.

 

[mhartel]

thanks all... during the past week I've been optimizing silver contact prints and feel I have maxed out the capabilities of a grade #3 paper. the tones are very nice and pretty much match what I can achieve with my inkjet printer. Overall I'm very pleased...

the grade #3 doesn't allow me to control highlights under 3% and shadows above 90% - both are gone... I'm going to try a grade #2 next.

HP 8750 and Pictorico High Gloss White Film