Why is 98% of all paper available VC?

Which ones would you rate "superb"?

chip j said:

More solid blacks, grays, & whites, I believe.

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Blacks, whites and grays have all been completely solid on every paper I've ever used.

I've never had them turn out liquid or gaseous and certainly not plasma.

Seriously, you use a word like "strong" which has no meaning with regard to tonality and when asked for an explanation you use another meaningless word like "solid."

These don't mean anything. I have no idea what you mean.

DREW WILEY said:

But I certainly do miss some of those old premium graded papers for certain applications. There are certain niches in look or image tone that are difficult to fill with today's paper selection. There are other niches easier to fill.

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Ektalure.
Portriga (though there is almost an embarrassment of great modern VC WT papers, they aren't either of these)
Maybe Brovira grade 6 (equal to a grade 5 from other makers) only because where VC papers do get into compromise is on the extreme ends of their contrast ranges.

I would have said Azo but there is the Lodima contact paper.

Anybody else care to suggest a graded paper of days gone by that you miss and just can't get a comparable result you like as well from a modern paper?

Never tried it myself but Fortezo Muzeum is something I would have liked to work with and be it only because of its 360g/m2 base.

Dear All,

I have not dipped into this so far... but here goes.

I love graded FB paper, I print on ILFOBROM GALERIE Paper ( it is, for those who asked, a Chloro-Bromide based emulsion ). And as the basis of any good print is good a neg, I produce good neg's, because I have the absolute luxury of bracketing, if its important, which I do and also I do not pay for the paper, so I can use the most expensive product we produce.

BUT, VC papers are now superb, and for all the reasons people have said, incredibly convenient and they do give you opportunities to 'adapt' printing styles ( split grade etc.etc ) for a specific look, one important thing though is that apart from the specialist re-sellers, re-sellers who hold limited stocks of monochrome prefer to stock only VC papers for exactly the same reasons as users ( its all in one box ! so less stock on the shelves ).

Whilst I agree many graded papers have been lost and indeed they are a loss, great products from KODAK, AGFA and FORTE to name but a few, our philosophy which APUGGERS know well is that we continue to make all the range of paper products ( and indeed add to them ) included in that is a range of graded RC products ( ILFOSPEED ) and graded FB ( ILFOBROM GALERIE ) I am the first to admit that they are not available in the full range they were once but since 90% + of sales are, and always were, grade II and Grade III availability remains.

VC also allows you to launch products such as MULTIGRADE ART 300 as a graded product only it could never have been produced due to sales volumes....

So we have products in VC from ILFORD & FOMA and SLAVICH and VC papers from other makers as well, so I see no 'monopoly' I see in the market what we value, choice for monochrome photographers and printers.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

chip j said:

Your intestines are in your skull.

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Those are sulci and gyri, not actually intestines.

I wish there was more choice in paper weights - I've been hunting single weight papers, and so far, only Slavich seems to still be making a single weight paper (which I've tested, and the matte FB Unibrom is very nice indeed, but it's graded, and it'd be nice to have a VC option)... Everyone else seems to only manufacture medium and double weight :-(

Marc!

I on the other hand am lusting for triple weight

munz6869 said:

I wish there was more choice in paper weights - I've been hunting single weight papers, and so far, only Slavich seems to still be making a single weight paper (which I've tested, and the matte FB Unibrom is very nice indeed, but it's graded, and it'd be nice to have a VC option)... Everyone else seems to only manufacture medium and double weight :-(

Marc!

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Yes, I posted a thread not long ago asking why single-wgt. can't be found. I was thinking mostly of the cost element. but I like the feel of them too. PE said they would gum up the machines that made them; almost everyone else said they didn't like them!

Art 300 is pretty heavy paper.

Slixtiesix said:

I on the other hand am lusting for triple weight

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Slixtiesix said:

I on the other hand am lusting for triple weight

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Kodak Elite was around 2.5 weight -- not quite triple. Nice to transfer carbon tissue to.

Ilford Gallerie toned well with Selenium. I used the paper for its clean almost-neutral tone, and selenium toning just seemed to add a little density to the blacks and just a slight tone-change to take it the rest of the way to a neutral tone.

Vaughn

Death Valley: Twenty-Mule Team Canyon
16x20 on Ilford Gallerie - grade 3 - selenium toned - From 4x5, TMax100