Why Does No One Talk About Pearl?

faberryman · Oct 12, 2017

You just need to try it and see if you like it. That's why there are choices. It doesn't really matter what other people think.

warden · Oct 12, 2017

There's no wrong type. For RC I use pearl and for FB I prefer glossy.

xtolsniffer · Oct 12, 2017

I use Ilford RC pearl for 95% of prints and FB glossy for special ones. Behind glass I find them very similar and the RC is so much cheaper and easier to work with, RC glossy is just too reflective for me, however I mount and light it I get reflections.

bdial · Oct 12, 2017

To my eye, Ilford's RC satin is a better analog to air-dried (not ferrotyped) glossy fiber paper, it's my preference when I'm ordering from on-line resources.

But pearl is easier to find if you're buying from a bricks and mortar shop, since the schools seem to like it.

Hubigpielover · Oct 12, 2017

faberryman said:
You just need to try it and see if you like it. That's why there are choices. It doesn't really matter what other people think.

jawarden said:
There's no wrong type. For RC I use pearl and for FB I prefer glossy.

I plan to do a lot of experimenting but I was wondering why no one ever really recommends the in-betweens.

Thanks

Eric Rose · Oct 12, 2017

I like RC Pearl. So there!

Hubigpielover · Oct 12, 2017

Eric Rose said:
I like RC Pearl. So there!

You do you...that's all that matters

MattKing · Oct 12, 2017

If you are scanning prints, for some reason RC Satin seems to scan very well.
I have no idea why.

NedL · Oct 12, 2017

Eric Rose said:
I like RC Pearl. So there!

Yeah, me too. I doesn't scan well but that's not why I make prints... I like the way my prints look with it.

DWThomas · Oct 12, 2017

MattKing said:
If you are scanning prints, for some reason RC Satin seems to scan very well.
I have no idea why.

Probably the texture honks up the scanning a bit; it could create a secondary level of grain aliasing sorts of stuff. I seem to recall in "the old days" magazines and such wanted glossies for ad photos. I'm actually an Ilford Warmtone Semi-Matte sorta guy, but I do use the pearl RC (from Ilford) for some purposes.

Why Does No One Talk About Pearl?

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