POLL : The BEST enlarging paper is...

[ARCHIVIST]

This poll is useless unless you differentiate between fibre base and resin coated papers.

 

[Turtle]

if I have to vote on a current paper, I would struggle to choose between the new Adox MCC and ilford MGWT as all rounders. Some of the Foma papers are lovely but more specialist in most cases.

 

[Freakscene]

And which one do you think is best?

They are all good for different purposes. I really miss the Forte papers, and Ektalure G was incredible for portraits. Agfa Portriga and Record Rapid were amazing too, as were many of the range of Kentmere FB papers.

I mostly work with Ilford papers now, for consistency and availability.

Marty

 

[shadowfox]

Fomatone is very good for lith printing
For daily usage, I prefer Adox MCP to Ilford MG but I believe if I work with it more, I can be happy with Ilford stuff also.

 

[Turtle]

Having just used 75 sheets of the Adox MCC, I am content that MGWT still holds the crown. OK, so its a lot slower, but it produces the most luscious prints I have ever made.

 

[mdarnton]

Costco Professional Glossy Inkjet Photo Paper, no question about it.

 

[sepiareverb]

Polywarmtone progress. Check the Adox FB page.

 

[35mmdelux]

some sort of rag, archival paper.

 

[Freakscene]

Polywarmtone progress. Check the Adox FB page.

Where??? I just looked . . . I can't find anything . . .

Marty

 

[sepiareverb]

Here.

Scroll down a few pics.

 

[Freakscene]

Exciting, really exciting. Now all they need to do is make sure they have found the technician who used to run the line in Vác.

Marty

 

[Turtle]

The PWT is only exciting if it is sold at a considerably lower price than MGWT, which is now the same price as sheets of solid silver!

 

[x-ray]

My favorite papers of the 60's and 70's were DuPont Varilour R and RW and Ansco Indigo.

In the 80's on Agfa MCC 111, Forte poly warmtone plus, Adox MCC ( Agfa) and Ilford multi grade FB

All fiber papers.

 

[BobYIL]

The best papers I have used so far were Agfa Portriga and Agfa Brovira. Today all Ilford fiberbase papers.

 

[loquax ludens]

Wow, this is an ancient poll.

For all two of us who like Azo (presumably large format contact printers), you can now buy its best replacement, Lodima Fine Art paper, from Michael Smith and Paula Chamlee. It's a very slow paper designed for contact printing and specifically as a replacement for Azo. It is not usable for enlarging, and neither was Azo, so I have no idea why Azo would have been included in the poll.

 

[cosmonaut]

Antarctican penguin hair paper is the best, hands down.



(Oh and RC VC for contact sheets 😛 )

I disagree Himalayan Yeti white fiber hair by far is better, but go find some.

 

[Nokton48]

I have a good stash of Kodak Ektalure paper in my deep freeze, for when I start printing again. That is one of my favorites.

 

[tsiklonaut]

Voted Oriental, deffo the best in the list - proper uncompromising silver-rich paper with no cost cutting. Ilford, while allright for regular B&W, just doesn't Lith. Ilford apperently doesn't have enough silver to properly Lith (probably to save costs?).

 

[airfrogusmc]

My fav was Kodak Elite fiber. I always had a box of grade 2, 3 and 4 in thee darkroom in 8X10, 11 X 14 and 16 X 20 sizes. I also voted Oriental...

 

[Deleted member 65559]

Azo isn't an enlarging paper, but it's a great one for contact printing larger negatives. I use a lot of Fomabrom Variant lll FB & like the results a lot. I keep a good stock of Ilford warmtone FB. & Yes to those who remember Zone VI Brilliant, the early version made in France by Guillemot & Boespflug. I just got 2 boxes of 11x14 that i look forward to printing with....
My favourites though were Forte Fortezo graded, and Forte Polygrade Warmtone. Its ability to separate the highlights in clouds, snow & reflections, made printing with it a breeze.