Black and White Papers

Right Image: Minolta X-700, 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.

 

Recommended Papers IIlford Multigrade IV RC Deluxe Resin Coated VC Variable Contrast Black & White Enlarging Paper - 8x10" - 25 Sheets - Pearl Surface ILFORD MULTIGRADE IV RC DeLuxe and ILFORD MULTIGRADE IV RC Portfolio are premium quality variable contrast papers. MULTIGRADE IV RC has a bright base tint. The image color remains cool-to-neutral whether viewed in daylight or fluorescent light. MULTIGRADE IV RC is part of the ILFORD MULTIGRADE system and is fully compatible with all existing MULTIGRADE filters and equipment. It is equally suitable for printing from conventional negatives and from XP2 SUPER negatives. MULTIGRADE IV RC DeLuxe has the standard weight (190g/m 2 ) resin coated base. It is available in three surfaces: 1M glossy, 25M satin and 44M pearl. ILFORD MULTIGRADE IV RC DeLuxe and ILFORD MULTIGRADE IV RC Portfolio are premium quality variable contrast papers. MULTIGRADE IV RC has a bright base tint. The image color remains cool-to-neutral whether viewed in daylight or fluorescent light. MULTIGRADE IV RC is part of the ILFORD MULTIGRADE system and is fully compatible with all existing MULTIGRADE filters and equipment. It is equally suitable for printing from conventional negatives and from XP2 SUPER negatives. MULTIGRADE IV RC DeLuxe has the standard weight (190g/m 2 ) resin coated base. It is available in three surfaces: 1M glossy, 25M satin and 44M pearl. Kodak Polycontrast III Resin Coated Black & White Enlarging Paper, 8x10, 25 Sheets, Glossy, "F" Surface Fast, selective-contrast general-purpose enlarging paper. For advertising displays, photofinishing, mapping, school photography, and other applications that call for a general-purpose enlarging paper with a neutral-black image tone.Fast, selective-contrast general-purpose enlarging paper. For advertising displays, photofinishing, mapping, school photography, and other applications that call for a general-purpose enlarging paper with a neutral-black image tone.