Slavich Bromoportrait 80 and LITH

Andrew Moxom · Dec 31, 2007

After reading a few threads on the Slavich paper being a sleeper paper with very good qualities, I decided to try some of the 8x10 G2 and G3 Bromoportrait 80 DW paper as the price point is perfect. I've heard it has similar properties of 70's type warmtoned US papers.

Has anyone tried ths paper with lith developer to see if it does in fact work in this process? As there is not much information about this paper out there, I'm curious to know if the paper has a super coating preventing lith dev to work.

I have some paper showing up this week and and itching to try it. I guess I'll be the guinea pig this week when my paper shows up if no one has an answer.

Paul Howell · Dec 31, 2007

Andrew Moxom said:
After reading a few threads on the Slavich paper being a sleeper paper with very good qualities, I decided to try some of the 8x10 G2 and G3 Bromoportrait 80 DW paper as the price point is perfect. I've heard it has similar properties of 70's type warmtoned US papers.

Has anyone tried ths paper with lith developer to see if it does in fact work in this process? As there is not much information about this paper out there, I'm curious to know if the paper has a super coating preventing lith dev to work.

I have some paper showing up this week and and itching to try it. I guess I'll be the guinea pig this week when my paper shows up if no one has an answer.

I have other Slavich papers including the silk, where did you get the get the Bromoportait 80?

Andrew Moxom · Dec 31, 2007

Paul, Freestyle sells it. Do you know if their paper liths though?

RoBBo · Dec 31, 2007

Paul Howell said:
I have other Slavich papers including the silk, where did you get the get the Bromoportait 80?

IRRC Bromoport 80 is the silk.
I'll check real quick again...

RoBBo · Dec 31, 2007

Slavich Bromportrait 80 (Double Weight)
Glossy Embossed (Silk)

Freestyle said:
"Slavich Bromportrait 80 is a warm-tone, fiber-based chlorobromide emulsion, black and white enlarging paper available in double-weight (250 microns) base thickness.

It is available in Glossy Embossed (Silk) surface Grades 2 and 3."

Sweet.

Andrew Moxom · Dec 31, 2007

So, back to the scheduled programming,.... Does it LITH?

Silverhead · Jan 2, 2008

Well, considering that Slavich's Unibrom liths quite wonderfully, my guess is that the Bromoportrait probably would do well also. They both contain old-school emulsions made in an old factory, so offhand, I doubt that the Bromoportrait would have a supercoating that could affect whatever lith properties it might have.

Andrew Moxom · Jan 2, 2008

Thanks Silverhead, That's what I was expecting to hear. I know of one reference to Slavich Unibrom paper in a lith process from Tim Rudman's book World of lith printing. The print looked quite good, and I was hoping the warm toned Bromoportrait 80 version would perfrom the same way... At any rate, I will hopefully test this later this week when my package from Freestyle shows up

Rich Ullsmith · Jan 2, 2008

The test Andrew is put a drop of solution B (or some activator from a sepia kit, essentially NaOH) on an exposed strip. No reaction or weak reaction indicates no developers present in the emulsion, and should lith. This according to Moersch site, if I remember right.

Gary Holliday · Jan 2, 2008

How would you describe the texture of this paper?

Andrew Moxom · Jan 2, 2008

From what I have heard, this paper has like an eggshell type look to it. It's officially called a silk. Not unlike the old portriga or original Oriental warmtone grade paper (not the newer crappier version!) Or put another way, it could be compared with the Forte Polywamtone semi matt.

srs5694 · Jan 2, 2008

The "silk" Slavich Bromoportrait papers have a texture that's similar to what was common in the 1970s -- a coarse (by photographic standards) pseudo-fabric pattern. The pattern is definitely coarser than real silk, but the finish has a softer feel to it than the coarse fabrics that it visually resembles. I'm guessing that's why they call it "silk" rather than, say, "denim." The gloss could have something to do with it, too; although the paper is textured, it's got a glossy finish. It's definitely unusual by modern standards, which is at least part of the appeal. You can give photos a very distinctive "retro" look by using this paper.

Gary Holliday · Jan 3, 2008

I have been informed that it is more akin to canvas rather than the watercolour paper finishes that I use.

Andrew Moxom · Jan 3, 2008

Now I am definitely intrigued about it's texture. I guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow to find out!

dancqu · Jan 3, 2008

Rich Ullsmith said:
The test Andrew is put a drop of solution B (or some
activatorfrom a sepia kit, essentially NaOH) on an exposed
strip. No reaction or weak reaction indicates no developers
present in the emulsion, and should lith. This according to
Moersch site, if I remember right.

I've doubts a test with anything so caustic as NaOH is
a fair test of the paper's emulsion. I test for developer
incorporated emulsions using a bath of sodium carbonate
which alone has a ph somewhat but not greatly above the
usual print developers'.

Of the four papers; Arista Classic, Emaks K-888, Kentmere
Bromide, and Slavich Unibrom 160, none have produced even
a trace of image. All DW FB Glossy Grade 2. Dan

Andrew Moxom · Jan 4, 2008

Well, I tried Bromportrait 80 G3 in Arista-Lith developer tonight..... Dilution was 1:14 for part A and 1:14 for part B... It did not work as anticipated. Basically, an image came up in about 6 minutes and it looked like identical to a regularly developed print. So I wonder if the embossed emulsion does have super coatings, or something added that stops it from lithing as well as it's unibrom 160 brother. I guess I need to try Unibrom now. Now I've seen an example of lith'd Unibrom in Tim Rudman's book so I hope the emulsion has not changed since this book was printed? So my quest for a Forte PWT and lith replacement is still underway. I guess I'll have to get by with some Forte Fortezo paper I have that I've not tried in lith, but heard works well.

For those that are trying Bromportrait, it could be that Arista-Lith is the problem, but every lithable paper i've tried in it usually works okay. I even tried Foma-tone tonight as well, and was pleasantly surprised, but found it did not liberate the same subtle tonality of Forte PWT. Now it toned okay, but did not shift color much and stayed very greenish warm.

Travis Nunn · Jan 4, 2008

I've only tried the Slavich Unibrom 160 double weight in lith and I got no colors at all. I used my standard dilution of 1:19 Maco SuperLith. What I got was a very graphic type print, all blacks and whites with very little, if any mid tones (no color at all). I made several prints and gave up on it. The developer was just fine, I made a couple of lith prints on other papers that came out as expected.

I found a quote from Tim Rudman that may explain my results here...
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/board/get_full_answer.php?id=128

Andrew Moxom · Jan 4, 2008

Travis, Thanks for that update. I think I have to try Slavich Unibrom in Arista-Lith based upon Tim's comment in your link. Sounds like Arista-Lith is working well for a few people.

cmichael · Jan 4, 2008

I threw 10 sheets of 11X14 into the shopping cart of my last Freestyle order which is not expected to arrive until next Tuesday. I will throw a few homebrew lith developers at it and see what I get.

Thanks for reporting your findings. I wonder if it is just a very slow paper? Perhaps gross over-exposure will bring out some mid tones?

semeuse · Jan 4, 2008

I have tried both the Unibrom and the silk in lith and found that a first pass didn't do much, but a bleach and redevelop (as described by Tim Rudman) releases quite a spectacular result.

cmichael · Jan 4, 2008

Thanks for the info Semeuse, what kind of bleach did you use? Potassium Ferricyanide + Potassium Bromide?

Thomas Bertilsson · Jan 4, 2008

Andy, thank you for reporting your findings. However, all may not be lost. If you have the patience, try a weaker solution of the lith developer. I found, for instance, that Ilford MGWT works well in a strong solution like the Arista you use, but looks very much like a normal print. Just a slight green cast and added warmth to the highlights. In weaker solutions, about 1+30 of both solutions, it turns an interesting gritty character, albeit super slow. Figure 20 minutes in the soup or so. Mistakes are not fun to recover...
Just something to try if you have the time.

I'm glad you liked Fomatone. It does interesting things at different dilutions. How did it tone in selenium for you? And what version of Fomatone did you use?

- Thomas

Andrew Moxom · Jan 4, 2008

Thomas, I used Fomatone MG WT classic. Glossy paper. It's seems more of a muddy / greenish brown color than polywarmtone, which exhibits some really nice chocolatey and pink/purple tones. With Selnium, I was able to darken the foma paper slightly to a warmth I like and to remove the greenish cast which I do not like. I actaully like this Foma paper in Neutol as well. It seems to work well in that..... It may have a place in my darkroom now

semeuse · Jan 5, 2008

cmichael said:
Thanks for the info Semeuse, what kind of bleach did you use? Potassium Ferricyanide + Potassium Bromide?

With the ferricyanide/bromide bleach I got some nice orange-yellow/brown splits. With copper sulfate there is a dramatic yellow/green/brown - though extremely slow to work - 2-3 hours in the bleach (50g copper sulfate, 6ml sulfuric acid, 45g sodium chloride, in 1l water).

yashasvi bhuta · Mar 27, 2014

the paper has developer incorporated in it still some grade 3 is available at freestyle. to make it work just do a simple extra step pre soak the paper. it gives very brownish image quite different from uniform

Slavich Bromoportrait 80 and LITH

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