Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Notices

Go Back   Film and Darkroom User > Monochrome Work > Monochrome printing techniques

  ***   Click here for the FADU 2015/2014 Yearbooks   ***

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #11  
Old 14th December 2020, 08:16 PM
adrianlambert adrianlambert is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 54
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Gould View Post
I never use Glossy RC paper, prefering the pearl or Lustre papers, but on the odd occasions I have used glossy it is possible to get a very small amount of mottling, and what you seem to be getting is very slight, I would try pearl paper, the finish has a slight sheen, a lot like glossy FB paper, whereas glossy RC is like ferrotyped FB paper, I wouldn't worry to much about what you are getting, it is very slight, as far as Kentmere, it was my paper of choice for very many years, before the buyout by Harman, i never used anything else, both FB and RC, and until the new MGV paper it was the only RC paper I woud use, but the new Ilford paper is so good, it beats the Harman Kentmere by a long stretch, indeed, it is so very close to FB paper in finished print that it will be my paper of choice for 90% of my printing
Richard

This is also what I’ve found. So I’m going to continue with MGRC deluxe I think. I’m quite fond of the glossy. First time ever I’ve wanted to print on glossy RC. Was a big matte user years ago. Did a handful of prints on FB glossy for a short while before I packed up my darkroom and had children. Now I’ve stocked up on fresh MG FB Glossy and been testing the Kentmere VC. If it turns out that the mottling is as per their tolerances I’ll be surprised. Hard to imagine it wouldn’t be noticeable in a print with a lot of black, hanging on a wall illuminated by a spot light or hanging near a window. Also noticed that the paper was much thinner than the MGRC. So much so that as I held the two test sheets I saw I how much light came through the Kentmere paper compared to the MGRC. Certainly more than I was comfortable with.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 16th December 2020, 12:58 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Southend on Sea, Essex, England, UK
Posts: 3,795
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by adrianlambert View Post
Also noticed that the paper [Kentmere] was much thinner than the MGRC. So much so that as I held the two test sheets I saw I how much light came through the Kentmere paper compared to the MGRC. Certainly more than I was comfortable with.
If I remember correctly, someone else, quite recently on this forum, questioned the two papers thicknesses.

Upon being tested with a 'technical measuring instrument' (I can't remember the name of it) by another member, I believe the two papers were found to be the exact same thickness.

Can anyone else back me up on this?

Also, keep us all updated with your communications with Ilford Adrian.

Terry S
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 16th December 2020, 01:29 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jersey Channel Islands
Posts: 5,433
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry S View Post
If I remember correctly, someone else, quite recently on this forum, questioned the two papers thicknesses.

Upon being tested with a 'technical measuring instrument' (I can't remember the name of it) by another member, I believe the two papers were found to be the exact same thickness.

Can anyone else back me up on this?

Also, keep us all updated with your communications with Ilford Adrian.

Terry S
I believe that John King use some form of Micrometer to mesure the thickness of the paper's and they were the same. they are all coated on Medium weight base so there shouldn't be any difference, and to me they both feel the same
Richard
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 16th December 2020, 02:13 PM
John King John King is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: County Durham
Posts: 3,318
Default Thickness of paper

Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry S View Post
If I remember correctly, someone else, quite recently on this forum, questioned the two papers thicknesses.

Upon being tested with a 'technical measuring instrument' (I can't remember the name of it) by another member, I believe the two papers were found to be the exact same thickness.

Can anyone else back me up on this?

Also, keep us all updated with your communications with Ilford Adrian.

Terry S
It was me. I checked the thickness of MG4 and MG5 using a micrometer and also with a vernier calliper gauge and they were identically the same thickness.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 16th December 2020, 02:22 PM
John King John King is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: County Durham
Posts: 3,318
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by adrianlambert View Post
Thanks Bob.
Safe lights were away from the enlarger and trays. Did a test exposure - still mottled. Dev times were over the recommended for the dev and paper. Spoke with Ilford this morning and am sending the balance of the paper along with my tests to them for testing. The likely situation is that I’m being too fussy. They say there is a very small amount of mottling that is acceptable in their Kentmere VC line but it’s below the threshold of almost all users concerns. It is however higher than for the MGRC papers so I may have hit that threshold. I noticed it when the paper was in the wash by shining my phone’s torch onto the paper very close. Not standard testing. But once seen it’s very hard to unsee. And I suspect it would be visible if, god forbid, the print was displayed in a position that got direct sunlight. Btw I chose the try this paper not because it was cheaper than others but because of the comments on it in this clip about it.
https://youtu.be/6N1QYKd2iXA

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
You are not being fussy it is a concern you have but I have never had a problem in very nearly 60 years with paper of any make or type other than some out of date so called 'waterproof' paper that came from a Ministry of Defence sell off. (Except where I was the cause of it).

Have I been lucky, perhaps, I still think yours is caused by dampness.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 16th December 2020, 06:49 PM
adrianlambert adrianlambert is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 54
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by John King View Post
You are not being fussy it is a concern you have but I have never had a problem in very nearly 60 years with paper of any make or type other than some out of date so called 'waterproof' paper that came from a Ministry of Defence sell off. (Except where I was the cause of it).

Have I been lucky, perhaps, I still think yours is caused by dampness.


I have to emphasise that the pic I posted shows it to be significantly more extreme than it actually is. I think I know what you mean about dampness though and you could well be right. I’ve seen reticulation issues with film that look very similar so I assume that’s what you’re talking about.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 17th December 2020, 10:57 AM
Martin Aislabie's Avatar
Martin Aislabie Martin Aislabie is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Posts: 2,080
Default

How warm was your print developer ?

I've had miserable blacks that had a mottled appearance and it happened when the print developer was too cold.

I put a thermometer in my print developer and stop printing if it gets too cold

Too cold for me is less than 17C

Martin
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 20th December 2020, 12:01 AM
adrianlambert adrianlambert is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 54
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Aislabie View Post
How warm was your print developer ?



I've had miserable blacks that had a mottled appearance and it happened when the print developer was too cold.



I put a thermometer in my print developer and stop printing if it gets too cold



Too cold for me is less than 17C



Martin


All trays were on a thermostat controlled heating mat at 20°C +/- .5°C


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 20th December 2020, 12:56 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Southend on Sea, Essex, England, UK
Posts: 3,795
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by adrianlambert View Post
All trays were on a thermostat controlled heating mat at 20°C +/- .5°C
Even with a thermostatic tray, it's worth having a thermometer in the actual developer liquid. I have found, depending upon air temperature and the time of year, the mat and the chemicals might not quite tally.

With my Nova slot processor, I put the thermostat at about +3C degrees higher at the moment, to get the chemicals at 20C, what with the darkroom being quite cool.

Terry S
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 20th December 2020, 03:49 PM
adrianlambert adrianlambert is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 54
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry S View Post
Even with a thermostatic tray, it's worth having a thermometer in the actual developer liquid. I have found, depending upon air temperature and the time of year, the mat and the chemicals might not quite tally.



With my Nova slot processor, I put the thermostat at about +3C degrees higher at the moment, to get the chemicals at 20C, what with the darkroom being quite cool.



Terry S


I have two thermometers, one in the dev and one in the fix, and am careful not to have them in contact with the base of the tray. The room temp is between 15°C and 18°C.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Reply With Quote
Reply
Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Prints CambsIan FADU YEARBOOK 2014 42 5th November 2014 08:03 PM
Do digital, colour or black and white, prints sell better than darkroom prints. Mark Burley Business Matters 51 20th September 2013 02:47 PM
Do you like your prints? MarcAeonDELETED Photography in general 21 24th June 2013 10:29 AM
my first FB prints darkclassical Monochrome printing techniques 13 13th November 2009 01:01 PM
So, what do you do with your prints? wiesmier Photography in general 26 20th September 2009 06:55 AM


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:19 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.