POLL : The BEST enlarging paper is...

POLL : The BEST enlarging paper is...

  • AZO and only AZO

    Votes: 2 0.9%

  • Oriental Seagull Fibre

    Votes: 23 10.1%

  • ILFORD/AGFA Graded papers

    Votes: 20 8.8%

  • ILFORD/AGFA VC/Multigrade papers are just as good

    Votes: 109 48.0%

  • I have no idea either, waiting to see the answers!

    Votes: 77 33.9%
  • Total voters
    227
I mostly use Ilford MG RC, pearle finish for prints to look at. I use Ilford MG fiber paper for exhibition if I am printing larger than 8x10.

Of course I haven't darkroom printed in almost a year, and I don't have plans to until August.
 
I voted "I don't know" but really I used Kodak Polymax til it died, now I use Ilford MG RC Glossy. I tried the FB paper in glossy, and I like it, but my wife won't tolerate the wash times.
Vic
 
Quote- "For all the black and white darkroom users:
Agfa MCP and MCC will be back under the ADOX brand ! here is the link http://www.adox.de/index.html"

That will make quite a few people happy!
Now if I could get Forte back...
 
Photo Paper

Photo Paper

For years the only paper I used was Oriental FB. Several years ago the paper changed. I used Burgger FB it renders a look in my prints that remind me of the old Oriental. I have stashed some Agfa Portriga Rapid.
 
Fomabrom BC FB Variant 111

Almost as good as the defunct Agfa 111.
Really nice blacks, and a very "tactile" tone in the whites, a bit creamy, which is really nice - I don't like the clinical white of the Ilford papers personally.
But then - it's a personal choice, different styles, different papers...

 
Roman said:
For 'regular' (ie. no special effects w/ toners, lith dev., bleaching) printing: Agfa Multicontrast Classic and Premium - real deep blacks, real crips highlights, very punchy, IMHO leagues above Ilford MGIV (I'm probably one of very few people who does not like that paper at all...)

For lith printing: Foma Fomatone MG (in FB and RC versions) - really easy to work with in lith developers, very colorful (reds, oranges, gold tones), relatively little blocking up of shadows & fine grain (fro lith prints).

For toning in gold (-> blueish tones) or selenium (-> brownish/red tones): Forte Polywarmtone.

Roman
Click to expand...

I agree and you are certainly not alone!

Although Ilford MG4 looks good wet, it almost always looks awful (IMO) dry...flat lifeless prints even when contrast is high. This is not always evident with a framed image in isolation, but next to an unframed prints off my favourite papers it is glaringly obvious.... I have some negs that print better on this than anything else, but that is normally only where I really need a much macro contrast as possible from a flat neg. IMO Oriental seagul (I still have the old stuff) and AGFA MCC are LEAGUES ahead. In particular I mourn the loss of Agfa MCC which conveyed a far greater richness every time compared to ilford MG. Hard to describe but side by side there really is no comparison. The MCC images have more depth, greater mid tone richness and a generally more agreable scale. I am beginning to like Kentmere Fineprint although it maxes out at about G 4 tops and so requires a more contrasty neg. In some regards it is like the MCC in that it produces a really pleasant gery scale full of contrast but without an unduly harsh overall result. I also like the surface when air dried. It is also excellent value for money compared to MG4. The MG4 surface texture is drab, drab, drab and unlike Finprint/MCC/OS does not dry with a pleasant sheen, but more off a dull off gloss. this is far less noticeable behind glass of course. I have probably printed over 150 sheets of MG4 in the last 2 months so I am not making this up! When I get into a groove with a batch of negs on MG4 (because I am using it up and will only buy it again when I need the contrast) and then switch over to one of my other papers, I frequently look at the prints on MG4 and just wish I had used something else.

I am also shocked at the new prices for Ilford FB WT!!! OMG! Double the price of Foma et al and not that great IMO, although preferable to the neatral MG4 as it seems to have slightly better depth. dont like the base colour though; kinda sickly pinky jaundiced hue. If they changed the base colour to something more neutral it would be far better IMO...something like MCC in fact! It does generate wonderful blacks tho and intensifies nicely in selenium.

One thing I really liked about OS is that you could take a genuinely underesposed print and juice it to hell in selenium. It would pick up so much density that the light and too bright print would actually be perfectly good and a fair match for the well exposed ones given only a taste of selnium for the blacks. The selenium really does hit the highlights hard too, given time. I have not been able to do this with any other paper to the same degree. Its kinda nice to leave a slighly, but critically underexposed print in the toner for 30 mins when I go for a run (afetr 5 mins or intermittent agitation) and come back to find, as if my magic, a pretty spot on print in the tray! not used the new stuff tho.

Forte PWT is now gone, bout Foma I hear has some good replacements. I am going to increase development of my negs and try to stick to Fineprint for all neutral/cold work, however.

I wish MG4 was in my subjective opinion 'better'but sadly it is not for me. It my least favourite of all the papers I have ever used. The difference is just as obvious comparing the RC versions of MCC (premium) and Ilford RC too. Night and day, sadly :( still, thank the heavens for Delta 100.

Cannot really vote for any one of the options in teh poll however, as for me, the best is a fairly scattered selection from various brands. I have a box of the Adox MC FB paper and cannot wait to try it. I think it is teh neatral paper and will be interested to see how it looks. At 280gsm, it certainly int Agfa MCC undetr the Adox banner. I think that must be labelled as something else. If this paper really does come back, it will go nicely along with the Fineprint.
 
Last edited:
Sisyphus said:
They just don't make papers like they used to . . . I think we can all agree on this, and that AGFA had, by far, the best selection of papers that ever existed. Especially when Portriga had cadium in it--this was truly a fine paper indeed.

And f course the insignis and brovira--they even actually had a grad 6.

I have stored some boxes of graded 11x14 Insignia, not sure what to print on it or if it is still good.

Now a days for everything that I print, I use either graded fiber base seagull for the blacks and toning effects or Iford graded and multigrade.

I prefer the graded papers thought, they tend to have deeper blacks and brighter whites, and the gradation of the midtones are just exquisite.

I prefer to have AGFA back though . . .
Click to expand...

Well, Agfa papers and the old formula Oriental Seagull graded papers (I really dislike their new stuff though). Those were good papers and I have yet to find anything that's as good as they were.
 
Ilfobrom. Sigh.


(Seagull's curves never seemed to match my film/dev combinations.)
 
Last edited:
Turtle said:
I agree and you are certainly not alone!

Although Ilford MG4 looks good wet, it almost always looks awful (IMO) dry...flat lifeless prints even when contrast is high.
Click to expand...

I don't know if it's the paper or the printers, but I have the same experience. Can't make it work for me, at least with the negatives I've produced and the enlargers I've used.
 
I can't conscientiously vote in the poll, because I have never personally used every type mentioned. I've been called out on this by Keith previously.

I assume everyone else who DID respond, has used them all.
 
So, do I take it that the cheap Arista paper I have been learning with is - well - cheap?

I just bought two packs of Ilford VC paper, now that I have a little experience.

Randy
 
I have no clue. My darkroom grand opening was only three weeks ago. I am new to the whole process. But until I get some seat time I am sticking to cheap multicontrast, Ilford though. I just need to know does the film and paper combo make a difference, what's best for Tmax and trix?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom