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Printing processes
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For those of you who do your own printing or have a say in how you want it done, what are your preferences? I’m a matte paper with a border kinda guy, although I’ve been finding it hard to source Iflord matte resin coated paper so if anyone has any advice that would be cool. Also think the Pearl paper gives a nice feel to an image. Please share your processes and inspire me.
My preference at the moment is Ilford warmtone fibre based paper developed in Agfa WA warmtone. I generally tone everything. A light sepia or selenium. Have recently purchased gold toner and hope to do some selenium and gold combinations. Also going to do some lith printing. Just need to push myself a bit to get into the darkroom.
Eddie wrote:
My preference at the moment is Ilford warmtone fibre based paper developed in Agfa WA warmtone. I generally tone everything. A light sepia or selenium. Have recently purchased gold toner and hope to do some selenium and gold combinations. Also going to do some lith printing. Just need to push myself a bit to get into the darkroom.
Yeh I’m pretty new to the darkroom so I haven’t worked with toners and the like but I’m sure I will in due course. I do have to push myself to get into the dark room, perhaps because I know that once I’m in I’m there for a very long time. Aren’t fibre based papers notoriously difficult to work with? From my research it seems like a bit of a nightmare.
Personally, these days, if you’re going to make the effort to print your own, it’s worth going the whole hog and printing on fibre based papers. The only extra difficulty really is the wash process and the drying. You need to ensure that they are thoroughly washed (without over-washing them) and they can be difficult to dry flat. One trick I’ve heard of once was to place the wet print face down on to a clean sheet of glass, the squeegee the excess water off the back of the print (using one of these handled rubber wipers) and leave it there to dry naturally. The print will remain “stuck” to the glass and dry flat and can then be lifted off when it’s dry. Never tried this myself, but would be interested in giving it a go sometime.
The main thing about fibre is that it creases easily, you have to handle it carefully, up to 10*12 is easy ,any bigger you need to be especially careful lifting out a sheet as it requires using two hands. Washing is the second issue, you need to wash for longer. Ilford have a quick wash process that would be worth checking out if you get into it.
I would recommend a book Creative Elements by Eddie Ephraums its very inspiring and has some wonderful images. It has all the technical stuff in a very readable format. I am sure you will pick it up secondhand on Amazon. It was published under a slightly different name in the States .
You can carefully squeegee the front of a fibre based print, the paper is so thick you have to be really heavy handed to ruin the print with creases, Thorsten, I would not have ever left a print face down on glass to dry, always face up on a shelf made of netting in a room that is left shut up whilst the print dries.
I used to use Ilfords 20×16 fibre base gloss, the prints were fantastic compared to the resin coated pearl or gloss.
And yes do take great care in the rinsing of the print.As for curling of the print, when it is completely dry, stack it with tissue paper over the face of it with heavy weights on top or just mount it onto a thick sticky backed board with a white mount and frame it before it gets ruined.
Have fun, I wish I had the time to set up my darkroom and use it again. What enlarger are you using ? condenser or diffuser type?
Phil
I think I’ll put in the extra effort with fibre based papers when I’m more confident, it takes me long enough at the moment to get a good print on RC. You all seem to think the difference in quality is worth it so I’ll check it out. I’m using a Durst enlarger with condenser head. It’s really good for the stuff I want to do.
Nice enlarger, take care with your negs as condenser heads tend to show up the dust and scratches a lot more than a diffuser head.
Just as important as the lens you took the photo with, what lens do you use on this enlarger?Buy a small packet of fibre based paper and have a go, you will like it, trust me.
Phil
Yeh it’s quite an unforgiving enlarger for scratches and dust but if you get it right, the contrast and clarity is worth it. I use a Rodenstock 50m f2.8 lens for 35mm and a Rodenstock 80mm f4 for my medium format work. I’ll have to go out and buy some proper paper washers if I’m going to use fibre based sheets but you have me all excited at the prosepct.
Leftist Rhetoric wrote:
For those of you who do your own printing or have a say in how you want it done, what are your preferences? I’m a matte paper with a border kinda guy, although I’ve been finding it hard to source Iflord matte resin coated paper so if anyone has any advice that would be cool. Also think the Pearl paper gives a nice feel to an image. Please share your processes and inspire me.
Interesting question and I dont have a set answer. I do like to print square and will often include the negative border but I’m not rigid on that.
I prefer fibre based paper but do some resin coated as well. Washing fibre properly is for people with lots of patience. I’ve long sought a used print washer in 20×24 but after 4 years looking decided to buy an new one. [dont ask the price :oops: :oops: :oops: ]
In warmtone papers I prefer Matt and in coldtone papers I tend to prefer semi-matt. I like to tone in selenium or in brown toner. Like Eddie, I’m keen on Lith printing. We did a workshop with Tim Rudman a few months ago and it was inspiring to say the very least.
As for drying/curling issues with fibre theres several ways to reduce it, most people try them all and pick the one suits them and their equipment/space available. If you are using the glass technique mentioned be absolutely sure the glass has no chemical residue on it.
You should note that Ilford have at the moment their multigrade fibre in a new base that much reduces [possible eliminates] this curl. Its in their quality department undergoing testing at the moment and should be on the shelves in your fav darkroom suppliers in the coming months. I’ll be breaking open the bubbly :lol:
Leftist Rhetoric wrote:
For those of you who do your own printing or have a say in how you want it done, what are your preferences? I’m a matte paper with a border kinda guy, although I’ve been finding it hard to source Iflord matte resin coated paper so if anyone has any advice that would be cool. Also think the Pearl paper gives a nice feel to an image. Please share your processes and inspire me.
I was also an Ilford Matt Pearl RC paper user but changed to Fibre a few years ago and have never looked back. I agree that RC is great for learning with but when you compare it to Fibre, you will see what we are all talking about.
I never liked glossy RC paper but keep in mind that glossy fibre is more like a semi matt when dried.
Peter
I fear once you get your mitts on fibre you won’t want to go back. Feels nice… very nice. I never minded the long washing ‘cos I loved the feel of the paper. No darkroom now, but when I was renting I’d leave ’em to dry overnight on a screen, then come back the next evening, heat a little bit and plop under a piece of heavy glass. Took care of the curls.
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