Your opinion please on Ilford RC papers.

niro · Sep 29, 2009

Lately I'm starting to interesting in RC papers, as I understood that they don't fall apart from the FB ones, especially when mounted and glassed.
My question is- Can you please share your experience with the Ilford RC papers (I narrow it down to Ilford because this is what mainly common in place of living):
MG WARMTONE RC GLOOSY
MG PORTFOLIO RC GLOOSY
I'm also looking for a RC that will react well in selenium toner.
Thank you,
Nir.

Ian Grant · Sep 29, 2009

For a noticeable effect with Selenium you need the Warm tone.

Ilford's RC papers have long been acknowledged to be the best available, very easy to use & process. With Warmtone you can vary the image colour/tone with different developers, but if your just starting you'd be better learning to print with the less expensive Portfolio paper.

Look on the Ilford website as they have excellent free online guide to starting printing.

Ian

Marco B · Sep 29, 2009

Yes, the Warmtone variant tones great, and has a beautiful deep black. Good paper.

sidearm613 · Sep 29, 2009

MG Portfolio is just a double weight version of the standard MGIV.

I love Ilford RC papers, but I don't use them much anymore because I prefer fiber. Thats just a personal thing. (As a side note, another personal thing, but I am a huge English geek, and I love the accidental misspelling of GLOSSY.)

Ahem, anyways, I could never justify to myself the extra cost of MG Portfolio, not to mention the fact that the Samy's Camera just down the block from me NEVER carries the stuff! In my brief experience, I think its a nice paper, but no nicer than standard MGIV, and the fact that it is thicker seems to make it more prone to parting at the edges, which is SUPER annoying.

Finally, I always found the glossy surfaces of RC to be too shiny for me, too mirror finish, if you will. I think satin finish is the nicest.

Mark Fisher · Sep 29, 2009

I find Ilford papers wonderful. It is my choice for neutral tone (Multigrade fiber gloss or sometimes RC gloss). The fiber and the RC versions print similarly and both need selenium to get to a more neutral tone (sort of green tinged in my darkroom without selenium). It is pretty subtle. I haven't printed with the warmtone in a while.

brian steinberger · Sep 29, 2009

Ilford RC papers are great, especially the warmtone. I use both for proofing and some work prints. All my final prints are done on their FB glossy papers.

I find the glossy RC papers to be too glossy as well. Ilford's pearl finish is much more appropriate.

Larry.Manuel · Sep 29, 2009

I second the approval for pearl finish.

Jeff Kubach · Sep 29, 2009

I agree that Ilford RC paper are excellant. Warmtone and the pearl finish are great.

Jeff

Ektagraphic · Sep 29, 2009

I am another to vote that Ilford RC are great. I use them for most of my printing. Sharp black and sharp whites. Simply elegant.

photomem · Sep 29, 2009

I have to agree with the vote for Pearl over Glossy. When I was at the photo shop the other day, I grabbed a pack of glossy by mistake. By the time I had realized it, I had opened the pack, and they do not accept returns on sensitized goods anyway. After a week, I have to say I hate the glossy. It is too high gloss. It makes all my prints look too plastic and lab processed as opposed to hand processed.

MattKing · Sep 30, 2009

photomem said:
I have to agree with the vote for Pearl over Glossy. When I was at the photo shop the other day, I grabbed a pack of glossy by mistake. By the time I had realized it, I had opened the pack, and they do not accept returns on sensitized goods anyway. After a week, I have to say I hate the glossy. It is too high gloss. It makes all my prints look too plastic and lab processed as opposed to hand processed.

If I can make a suggestion.

Save your glossy paper for subjects that really benefit from it, such as subjects with hard, metallic tones or reflective surfaces.

In addition, glossy prints often scan well.

Matt

Steve Smith · Sep 30, 2009

sidearm613 said:
I am a huge English geek, and I love the accidental misspelling of GLOSSY.

How would you spell it in that strange American version of English you use then?!!!

My Oxford English dictionary tells me that Glossy is correct. And it's Fibre, not Fiber!

Steve.

Jerevan · Sep 30, 2009

Steve, 'twas the "gloosy" spelling that was referred to in the OP, I believe. There are a lot of people here who does not have English as their first language, me included.

However, I like the quality of the Ilford RC papers, and the speed and ease of use it brings. I really like Satin. The other surface variants range from tolerable to unmentionable, in my opinion.

Steve Smith · Sep 30, 2009

Jerevan said:
Steve, 'twas the "gloosy" spelling that was referred to in the OP, I believe.

Oh yes. I missed that! I thought he was suggesting that GLOSSY was incorrect, sorry!

Jerevan said:
There are a lot of people here who does not have English as their first language, me included.

It is never my intention to insult anyone who does not have English as a first language. I do have friends who fall into that category who have asked to be corrected when they get something wrong as they prefer to be corrected than carry on using the wrong word, spelling or pronunciation.

Back to the regular programme, I like Ilford's pearl and satin finishes but I agree with others who think the glossy (or gloosy!) finish is too much.

Steve.

xtolsniffer · Sep 30, 2009

Another vote for pearl. Warmtone RC pearl is my most-used and favourite paper, and tones wonderfully in Selenium, but looks great without.

niro · Sep 30, 2009

Thanks guys for your helpful options.
In Ilford site there is RC WARMTONE only in Glossy and Pearl (not Satin).

Is the Pearl finish is like matte? I really like the WARMTONE FB glossy, and worry that the RC Pearl will be to "bulky".

Anther question - is there an Ilford RC paper that will be equivalent to FB GALERIE?

Niro.

Martin Reed · Sep 30, 2009

niro said:
Thanks guys for your helpful options.
Is the Pearl finish is like matte? I really like the WARMTONE FB glossy, and worry that the RC Pearl will be to "bulky".....

Pearl was originally researched to offer an RC surface that was as close as possible to 'glossy unglazed' on fibre based paper. In the '70's when pearl was designed, the revealing nature of the smooth unglazed gelatin FB finish had become the standard for art printing. Like GU pearl gives a good density range with a deep black without the distraction of excessive surface reflection.

The nearest RC paper to Galerie is Ilfospeed, still available in glossy & pearl, although it's now special order from most dealers, as demand is very low.

alroldan12 · Sep 30, 2009

The warmtone RC has a nice creamy base and, as it has been said, it tones to very rich dark brown and subtle highlights in selenium. I used it for two photographs in a portfolio I showed at a portfolio review, and the reviewer was impressed with the overall quality of the paper (she also liked the photographs).

Regards,

Axel

BetterSense · Sep 30, 2009

I like gloss finishes but not really Illford's gloss. Glossy contact prints better. My favorite finish is Arista EDU.Ultra's gloss, because it fails at being glossy (reflective), yet has no discernable texture. You can really see the silver in the emulsion and I like that.

jmdco · Sep 30, 2009

I also vote for the pearl version. Excellent paper. I use it for my tests. It resembles the Multigrade IV FB Fiber. For a given image, the exposure time and grade are almost identical. A true happiness.

In reaction to the photographic print toning, the MGV is milder than WARMTONE. The RC will be softer than the fiber.
It is because of the development accelerator included in the RC papers and fiber which are derivatives of hydroquinone and phenidone. The phenidone inhibits major changes to the image. This allows for neutral colors. For cool tones, there is also the benzothiazole. This paper are part of the family of ag bromochlorure.

For more pronounced toning take WARMTONE which is the family chlorobromide ag.

Hope you have helped

Some examples on the site Moersch

Regards,

Note: As you can see, English is not my first language. Do not shoot, please

niro · Sep 30, 2009

Some fox mention that the WARMTONE RC is excellent paper and they used it for contact print or test...

So what if so is your final print paper?

pentaxuser · Sep 30, 2009

Be aware that Ilford Satin is, in my opinion, much more matt than Pearl although it sounds as if it should be very similar as in a real pearl or a real satin garment which look similar. It is a nice surface however and much underrated, I think.

pentaxuser

Keith Tapscott. · Sep 30, 2009

Martin Reed said:
Pearl was originally researched to offer an RC surface that was as close as possible to 'glossy unglazed' on fibre based paper. In the '70's when pearl was designed, the revealing nature of the smooth unglazed gelatin FB finish had become the standard for art printing. Like GU pearl gives a good density range with a deep black without the distraction of excessive surface reflection.

The nearest RC paper to Galerie is Ilfospeed, still available in glossy & pearl, although it's now special order from most dealers, as demand is very low.

That`s a shame because I like the slight warmth of Ilfospeed. I hope that Ilford don`t discontinue it. It`s a nice paper for portraiture IMHO.

Keith Tapscott. · Sep 30, 2009

Steve Smith said:
How would you spell it in that strange American version of English you use then?!!!

My Oxford English dictionary tells me that Glossy is correct. And it's Fibre, not Fiber!

Steve.

.........but does your dictionary have GLOOSY? Read the OP again.

jvo · Sep 30, 2009

good paper - but

I like Ilford, but no RC paper has the impressions of "range" and "depth" of fiber paper.

Your opinion please on Ilford RC papers.

niro

Ian Grant

Marco B

sidearm613

Mark Fisher

brian steinberger

Larry.Manuel

Jeff Kubach

Ektagraphic

photomem

MattKing

Moderator

Steve Smith

Jerevan

Steve Smith

xtolsniffer

niro

Martin Reed

Advertiser

alroldan12

BetterSense

jmdco

niro

pentaxuser

Keith Tapscott.

Keith Tapscott.

jvo

Your opinion please on Ilford RC papers.

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