What to write on back of RC paper with?

brian steinberger · Jul 8, 2011

What is best to use to write on the back of RC paper? Just a regular #2 pencil? I want to start writing more info on the back of my contact sheets.

Thanks.

DanielStone · Jul 8, 2011

Neanderman · Jul 8, 2011

For contacts, I just use a ball point pen. Works great.

Fotoguy20d · Jul 8, 2011

I usually use an HB mechanical pencil - doesn't come off in the bath.

Dan

mooseontheloose · Jul 8, 2011

I usually use a grease pencil -- it also doesn't come off in the bath or fade.

bdial · Jul 8, 2011

+1 on the sharpie, no darkroom should be without at least one.

BetterSense · Jul 8, 2011

I use a sharpie. I don't worry about evil anti-archival chemicals, though. If I was worried about archival stability I would probably not be using RC paper, or at least I would us my Pigma micron pens.

brian steinberger · Jul 8, 2011

BetterSense said:
I use a sharpie. I don't worry about evil anti-archival chemicals, though. If I was worried about archival stability I would probably not be using RC paper, or at least I would us my Pigma micron pens.

I'm storing these contact sheets alongside the negatives which are in archival sleeves and kept in 3-ring photo workboxes, so I wouldn't want something that emits any kind of chemical, though this is splitting hairs. Maybe I'll just stick with pencil to be safe.

jvo · Jul 9, 2011

i use a grease pencil... have used a sharpie and have found it bleeds from one print to another - it's happened maybe once or twice but that's all i needed to have happen on a print i worked on for awhile...

ann · Jul 9, 2011

years ago I bought a whole box of "shapie" type pens for my darkroom students. They where of archival quality , problem, got them from Light Impressions. These days i wouldn't send the worse person in the world to purchase anything from them. However, perhapes google would turn up something.

We never used these on prints that were to be mounted, sold, etc. basically for easy note keeping.

Be careful about some grease pencil as they may leave a reminder they have been used on the drying screen, just waiting for another print to come by and attach itself ( happened).

Also, sometimes these type of pens bleed through to the print.

matthewhoult · Jul 9, 2011

A friend of mine uses a super-soft pencil and doesn't push hard. Super-soft as in an 8B or 9B. Seems to work great.

trotkiller · Jul 9, 2011

I also just use a regular pencil, why would you need to use anything else?

removed account4 · Jul 9, 2011

archival pigment pen
and studies show rc paper may be even more archival than fiber ...

ann · Jul 9, 2011

regular pencil for RC is sometimes difficult . With fiber papers, pencil is the best IMHO.

what ever you use, just be sure you transfer the notes on the back to a note book, etc. As if you happen to destroy, dry mount , etc. that print, you will never get that infomration back.

What to write on back of RC paper with?

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