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Old 23rd May 2021, 11:09 PM
MichaelJ MichaelJ is offline
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Default Lightweight FB paper?

In my limited but enthusiastic recent experience of making B&W prints, I've mostly used Ilford MGRC paper as standard. I got a pack of Kentmere RC paper a while ago to make up an order to a 'free shipping' value, and was interested to find it was a bit lighter than Ilford, ie thinner. This makes it good for contact sheets as they then take up less space in a folder with the negs.

Does anyone have a suggestion as to whether there is a yet lighter-weight RC paper and if so what it is?

Thanks!
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Old 24th May 2021, 06:57 AM
John King John King is offline
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This cropped up some months ago and I checked the thickness of MG4, MG5 and Kentmere and they are all the same. To do this I used a micrometer.

What I have noticed since then is MG5 is slightly harder to tear when it is dry so there may be some sort of heavier/stronger base layer in the paper that make is feel thicker.
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Old 24th May 2021, 11:17 AM
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Martin Aislabie Martin Aislabie is offline
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Once upon a time (late 70s/early 80s) Kodak and perhaps others, supplied FB paper in either Single or Double weight.

I have not seen anything like a single weight paper for a very long time.

Personally, I'm just pleased the economics still work for someone to produce both an RC and FB base paper.

We just have to accept that our storage files are full with contact prints taking up most of the space.

Martin
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Old 24th May 2021, 11:27 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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All RC papers are the same weight, mediumweight, and the same base thickness, execpt for Ilford Portfolio, which is double weight RC, back in my youth most major suppliers made FB paper in single weight, doudle weight, and some papers were trible weight, I would buy single weight paper as it was cheaper, and my pocket money went further, then single weight and triple weight disappeared from the shelves, only double weight left, then in more recent times Ilford art 300 came along, and again we have a triple weight 0luxery paper, hence 30 sheets per pack instead of 50, but RC has always beem medium weight and same thikness
Richard
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Old 24th May 2021, 12:07 PM
MichaelJ MichaelJ is offline
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Thanks all- I could have sworn the Kentmere was a bit thinner but I guess the Vernier doesn't lie... and yes, Martin, the files will just fill up quicker!
MJ
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Old 24th May 2021, 01:39 PM
Michael Michael is offline
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The way to measure paper thickness is by measuring a block and then dividing by the number of sheets. That minimizes the compression error.
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Old 24th May 2021, 03:11 PM
John King John King is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael View Post
The way to measure paper thickness is by measuring a block and then dividing by the number of sheets. That minimizes the compression error.
I would have thought it was the other way round. Measure one sheet and say the compression was .01mm, then multiply the number of sheets to 100 the compression in theory will be 1mm.

.01mm is negligible, 1 mm is measurable easily. In fact using micrometer you can set the adjustment screw so that it would not compress a sheet of photographic paper.
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Old 24th May 2021, 04:09 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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If you tighten a micrometer by turning the ratchet stop - as you should - then, as John says, you get no compression.

Alan
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Old 24th May 2021, 04:24 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Just idle curiosity on my part as photography probably had not entered my radar when lightweight FB was last around but other than lower cost what other advantages, if any, did it have over its heavier brother

Was it for instance harder or easier to flatten or about the same and once flattened did it stay as flat?

Thanks

Mike
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Old 24th May 2021, 04:47 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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If I remember correctly It was a real problem to flatten, took a good week under a large pile of the heaviest books you could find, some times, in fact it almost rolled up, It was at one time known as airmail paper as it was so light you could post prints across the world half the price of heavy weight paper, also it was very useful for the press photographers, remembering this was long before RC paper, and could be dried faster, heat flattened, much faster than double weight paper, and the faster it was ready for the press the better, it stayed flatter easier than double weight or triple weight paper, which, even today, can have a tendency to curl slightly even when dry, and back in the days of this type of paper, always known as WSG, or white smooth glossy, most prints were glazed, even the Amateur photographer, as we were known back in the day, had a means of glazing their prints, and SW paper glazed easier, many a good print was ruined at the glazing stage. Ah memories of Temps Passe
Richard
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