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From: barad@brand.UUCP (Herb Barad)
Newsgroups: net.rec.photo
Subject: Re: darkroom paper
Message-ID: <123@brand.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 14-May-85 10:32:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: brand.123
Posted: Tue May 14 10:32:30 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 22-May-85 07:55:40 EDT
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Organization: U. of So. Calif., Los Angeles
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> It usually takes me several prints to get an image right. I learn a lot
> about a negative by making a print, especially with 35mm negatives.
> Things like contrast, overall tonality, sharpness, shadow detail can
> transfer from RC to fiber, especially if you are familiar with both
> types of paper.
> 
> It used to be that there was a lot of difference between the cost of RC
> and fiber paper, especially the better papers (Medalist and Portriga
> were my favorites). It has been years since I bought RC and fiber paper
> at the same time and I just carried the old idea forward. But Herb Barad
> is right. These days the difference is only a few dollars for a box of
> 100 sheets.  So, I'm changing to fiber base all of the time.
> 
> Fiber paper is a pain to wash and dry. Even with a decent washer it
> still takes hours. Does anyone have suggestions on how to make this
> easier?
> 

As far as washing goes, I have two methods I use.  If I want archival
quality, I will be washing for at least 20 minutes after the last print goes
into the wash tray.  These prints (with only a mini-wash) can sit for a few
days until you are ready for toning.  Then comes an archival wash (>1 hour).
This also brings up the advantage of fiber paper over RC - RC is not
archival.

If you do not wish "archival" processing, then a one-hour wash in a tray of
running water is good enough.  Another method is that you can leave the
prints in a tray filled with water and just change the water every so often
over several hours of watching TV.  Start this after (at least) a 20 minute
running wash.

I realize the pain of the long processing (mostly washing) times for fiber
paper.  I used to print on RC (Multigrade II).  But processing time is a
two-edged sword - I can leave the prints that I have done so far in the wash
tray as long as I need to while I am printing other negs.  If you leave RC
paper in the wash too long, bad things can result.

Not only do I recommend fiber based paper, but also graded paper.  You can
get much better contrast from #2 Oriental then from Multigrade II (with a
number 5 filter).  If you don't believe me, try it!  Also, you might think
that you are stuck with only one grade of contrast (per box of graded
paper), but that is also not true.  You can vary the contrast tremendously
by just changing the developement time.  You can barely do that with
Multigrade II (as there are already developing agents in the paper and it
developes fully so quickly).

						Try it,
-- 
Herb Barad	[USC - Signal and Image Processing Institute]

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