Black and White Papers
Right Image: 35mm SLR,
75-300mm f-4.5-5.6 lens, Kodak T-Max 100, Bogen tripod and pan/tilt head.
Centerweighted metering, exposure not recorded.
There is a large selection of black and
white papers available in different sizes, weight, and contrast. Your choice depends on
the bromide or resin-coated. You also have to decide on contrast graded or variable
contrast papers. With the later, contrast is changed by filters.
Bromide papers: Regular bromide papers give neutral black images and are very popular. Panchromatic
bromide give very accurate black and white images. Unlike regular bromide papers which are
sensitive to blue light only, Panchromatic are sensitive to all colors of light. This
allows more accurate black and white printing. Chlorobromide papers give brown to black
images. These papers need more exposure times. For printing from slides, direct positive
bromide papers can be used. Note that these papers are high contrast and may need
flashing. You can use Orange safe lights with all the above papers except Panchromatic. It
is best to print in total darkness when using Panchromatic papers, since this type of
paper is sensitive to all colors of light.
Paper base: Fiber-base papers take longer to process but are cheaper than resin coated papers. Fiber
based prints need to be washed for 30 minutes to remove all processing chemicals. Drying
fiber-based papers also takes longer. Resin coated papers take less processing time. They
are more expensive and difficult to mount. Washing and drying times are reduced since
resin coated papers do not soak up chemicals.
Paper weight: Single, medium, or double-weight papers are available with different thickness.
Double-weight papers are the thickest and suitable for larger prints. Single weight papers
should be used for smaller prints up to 8X10. Note that resin papers are only available in
medium weight.
Surface: Matte
papers have no reflective sheen with either smooth or rough textures. They are great for
many types of printing especially for retouching. Glossy papers have a mirror-like
surface. They produce much richer blacks than matte papers with finer shadow detail.
Contrast: Bromide papers are available in six different contrast grades, ranging from 0 to 5. Low
contrast papers give good gray tones. Grade 1 can be used with high contrast negatives.
Grade 2 is considered normal contrast, suitable for printing from negatives with average
contrast. Grade 3 and higher can be used with low contrast negatives. Instead of buying
several types of graded papers, you can buy variable contrast (multigrade) papers. You can
use filters to change paper's contrast. You can buy a set of filters, or use a color head
enlarger.
Kodak, Ilford, and Agfa are the major manufacturers of papers. Forte, Cachet, and Luminos also make quality papers. Experiment with different types of paper and pick the ones that you like.
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