What are your favorite papers?

[Diaga67]

Hi Again Everyone,

I asked the question of everyone's favorite paper developers, and the responses were most helpful. In that same vein, I wanted to ask everyone what your favorite papers are....in respect to fine art, exhibition, display, etc.

My only experience so far are Ilford RC and FB Multigrades. I am pretty much a FB printer now, and given the choices out there, I wanted to see what everyone chooses/likes/dislikes/etc.

Thanks again for all the help. I am learning so much, so fast here!

Jim

 

[Richard Wasserman]

Forte Polygrade V followed by Kentmere Fineprint

Richard Wasserman

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

J&C Exposition graded for enlargements. Azo for contact prints until I run out or the replacement comes along.

 

[Blighty]

Ilford Warmtone FB and Forte Polywarm FB. In RC emulsions, I like Ilford Multigrade IV and Forte Polygrade.

 

[Bob Carnie]

I always keep going back to Ilford Warmtone.
Agfa Classic is also a wonderful paper.
The Forte line of papers are very nice but I have had some inconsistancys with these papers.

Ilford Warmtone is very reliable batch to batch, I have never had a problem with this paper and it tones nicely.

 

[Travis Nunn]

Kentmere Fineprint is my primary paper

 

[Loose Gravel]

Bergger VC CB and Toilet, depending on the application.

 

[mmcclellan]

The "Museum" paper from JandC is great! I have been using it extensively to prepare an exhibition here in Ireland and could not be happier with the paper. Of course, since it only comes in three grades (soft, normal, and hard), it is assume that one has good negatives for printing.

The paper is super rich, has a gorgeous white/cream base, and is warm toned. I develop it in Zone VI print developer, but others will surely work well, too. With selenium toning, the paper gives a slightly warm tone that is quite pretty.

I guess I'm in love with this paper -- I hardly use anything else!

 

[Paul Sorensen]

Forte Polygrade V followed by Kentmere Fineprint

Richard Wasserman

Exactly my choices for neutral to cool. I buy it rebranded from J and C or Freestyle and save some real money with it as well. My experience is that Kentmere is more neutral and has a whiter base. It takes selenium reasonably well. Forte has a blue/green emulsion that I like much better with a bit of selenium to bring it to a more netural tone. Forte takes selenium very strongly and will go eggplant pretty quickly. If you don't want that, then you must watch it and use well diluted selenium (I use it at 1:20).

I also print on warm paper and I use Forte Polywarmtone for that. I prefer the glossy neutral base myself. It also takes selenium well, but looks better than the neutral forte without it.

The J and C classic papers are Forte and the Arista.edu Made in Hungary is also Forte. They both have neutral and warm versions. The Arista II at Freestyle is rebranded Kentmere and will save you a little, but not a huge amount.

Have fun!

Paul.

 

[jim appleyard]

Bergger VC CB and Toilet, depending on the application.

Are they at all interchangable? Is the latter archival and does it respond well to TONING?

 

[agGNOME]

Are they at all interchangable? Is the latter archival and does it respond well to TONING?

Hard to resist this one, so in lieu of grossing anyone out I'll just say poly-sulfide toning. : )

 

[photo8x10]

I usually use AZO paper for my contact print, but sometimes I also use Ilford Galerie or Bergger VB. All this paper are good, to my mind, developed in Amidol, in fact, I use all in Amidol Developer.

Best

Stefano Germi
Italy

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Almost all of my printing is contact printing. I will continue to print on Azo until my supply runs out - or until the Smith-Chamlee replacement silver chloride contact paper comes in. I'm pre-ordering some of the new paper from Smith & Chamlee.

My developer for silver chloride contact paper is Amidol.

 

[esanford]

Ilford Gallerie and Oriental Seagull.... both graded

 

[Loose Gravel]

Are they at all interchangable? Is the latter archival and does it respond well to TONING?

Given how much sh*t I seem to print, I think I can use the former for the latter, but not vise versa. Never been a big fan of toning. That's why I use the Bergger VC CB (seriously).

 

[Changeling1]

Favorite Papers? Why.... The Federalist Papers of course!

 

[eddym]

I like Ilford Galerie for most work. I still have a little Agfa Portriga and some Agfa Insignia. But my new favorite warm tone paper is Bergger graded warm tone. Beautiful stuff!

 

[Ed Sukach]

My favorite is Ilford Mutigrade Portfolio.

 

[removed account4]

for a while there my favorite was seagull oriental ( blue box white label ) then it went to faux ilford ( "made in england") from photo warehouse, now it is olde and outdated agfa, kodak fb, polymax fb, and forte.

- john

 

[hawkwind]

Favorite Papers

Ilford MG FB or Portfolio for everyday sorts of stuff. Forte Polywarmtone for warm stuff and for Lith Printing. I'm branching out into many other papers, though. My new favorite is J&C Classic FB. The only trouble with J&C, however, is that I'm always getting "out of stock" messages.

--Gary

 

[Gibran]

My all time favorite paper was the original Forte Polywarmtone from the early to mid nineties. Toned in Selinium, one could get a really rich red brown out of it. Apparently from what I have read, this was due to the Cadmium in it which for environmental reasons has been removed. I still like and use the current stuff but man I miss the look of the original.

 

[Black Dog]

Fortezo, Polywarmtone (semimatt is dead ringer 4 Ektalure), Ektalure (still have some), Kentona (warm but not as full on as Forte) and Seagull. Lookking forward 2 trying Foma .

 

[B&Wenthusiast]

favorite papers?

Going to ask a newbie question - what is the difference between warmtone and cooltone papers and when do you use them?

Thanks for the advice and all that I have learned.

 

[Gibran]

Going to ask a newbie question - what is the difference between warmtone and cooltone papers and when do you use them?

Thanks for the advice and all that I have learned.

Image tone tint and it ranges significantly from highlights to shadows depending upon paper and chemistry used. For instance, you can have warm blacks and close to neutral whites all the way to creamy warm whites and everything inbetween for Warm Tone Papers to neutral to cool(think blue) tones for Cold Tone Papers. Usage is completly subjective. I'm sure others will give a much better explanation than I.

 

[Ole]

Bergger Art Classic "Silver Supreme" really is supreme - for those few pictures which look great on it.

I like the other Bergger papers too - and Fortezo Museum. But most of my prints are made on Ilford MG IV FB, which is the most consistently good paper I have found.