Just wanted some opinions on a good quality print paper. I'm new to the game but am learning new stuff every pull of the trigger. I was told to look for a semi-gloss paper. Your thoughts on paper? Thanks for your time.

-- Dan Booth (dbooth542@hotmail.com), March 07, 2002

Answers

You could do a lot worse than any of Kentmere's extensive range of papers.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), March 07, 2002.

Ilford Multigrade IV RC in pearl finish. Easy and beautiful.

-- Marc Leest (classicphoto@leest.net), March 07, 2002.

very few of todays papers are NOT of good quality. What effect are you looking for? Warm/cold tone, gloss or matt, graded or variable contrast? is semi-gloss what YOU want?? A good place to start is any of the neutral tone (or supposedly neutral) resin coated variable contrast papers. After using it for a while you can decide where you want to go from there

-- Wayne (wsteffen@skypoint.com), March 07, 2002.

I agree with Marc and Wayne. Get to know one paper and then - it all depends on your sensebilities as to what you consider good.

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), March 07, 2002.

The quality of many manufactured b/w papers is consistent, yet mediocre. Most of the "double weight" paper is skimpy, and the silver content is rationed as if we were in the second world war.

The best paper brand I have tried is Bergger, who actually make a paper with a heavy stock. The cost is high, but worth it. I usually make my intial prints with Forte Polygrade V fiber, or Zone VI VC fiber, both good papers with a good price, and then make the final prints with Bergger. The Bergger warmtone VC is 2 stops slower than Forte, so keep that in mind if you switch back and forth.

I used Ilford Gallery in the mid 90's, but stopped when they began to decrease the weight of the paper. I had the impression that they were cutting quality in order to increase their profits, so I never used their paper again. Perhaps they have increased the quality since then, but I felt cheated after spending a lot of money on a paper that was probably worth half the price I payed.

Agfa Insignia is an interesting paper. It does not have a bright white paper base, and it has a warm tone. I have been buying it very cheaply on Ebay from Hunts Photo.

Also, "aging" some of your papers can have interesting effects. The blacks are not as strong, and one can achieve a different looking print.

Good luck, and keep experimenting!

-- James Webb (jwebb66@yahoo.com), March 07, 2002.

A lot depends on whether you are printing on RC or fiber. There is really no true glossy fiber paper. To get a glossy look on fiber, you have to use ferro plates and a print conditioner. I have never liked a glossy look away either in black & white or color, unless I'm trying to document detail of a car accident for insurance purposes. But it's all a matter of personal preference.

For RC, I would recommend a pearl finish like Ilfords. I find matt finishes too dull unless you are doing something like hand coloring.

For fiber, I recommend a glossy finish. As I noted above, it doesn't really have a glossy look and is similar to a pearl finish on RC.

-- Jim Rock (jameswrock@aol.com), March 07, 2002.

If you want an RC paper, AGFA MPC Classic RC is tough to beat. For a fiber based paper, Forte Elegance Neutral tone VC FB, glossy finish (which actually drys to a textured gloss).

-- Ted Kaufman (writercrmp@aol.com), March 07, 2002.

Another vote for Agfa Mc Rc, my favorite rc paper out of all that I have tried from best to least are Agfa Mc, Kodak polymax II, Oriental Rc, Fuji Gekko, Kodak Polycantrast, Ilford Mg.

For fiber the choices are more difficult as there are many very good papers. I like Kodak Polymax, Forte neutral, Zone6, Ilford Mg, Agfa Insignia.

-- shannon (shannon76@angelfire.com), March 07, 2002.

I agree with James, the best paper you can find must be Bergger (fixed grade). I like warm tone papres, and I find Agfa Record Rapid (insignia in the states), Kentmere Kentona, Tetenal Art Sepia and Forte Fortezo quite good. Oriental Seagull G is great, but hard to find.

-- George Papantoniou (papanton@hol.gr), March 10, 2002.