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  #1  
Old 8th December 2010, 04:58 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Default Satin Vs Pearl

Jon,
Slightly off - topic, but do you like Ilford Satin over, say Ilford Pearl, because of the surface? And what about the depth of black? Maybe I was doing something wrong but I couldn't get the blacks as dark as Pearl when I tried Satin. Your comments would be most welcome.

Alan

Last edited by Dave miller; 8th December 2010 at 05:26 PM. Reason: Moved to it's own thread since it is a new subject.
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Old 8th December 2010, 06:10 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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I have had the same experience. Ilford Satin can appear to be "flat" by comparison with Pearl which to be fair can appear to be flatter than Glossy.

Satin suits some subjects and I think is generally better for hand colouring.

It is also a problem of description. Some paper called Lustre is in my opinion better with blacks than say Ilford Pearl although Lustre and Pearl is meant to describe the same kind of surface. I find this to be very true of Jessops Lustre. While it is by no means "Glossy" it is "meatier" than Ilford Pearl.

The look of paper and how well it handles "blacks" is probably very subjective.

Mike
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Old 8th December 2010, 08:53 PM
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Miha Miha is offline
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Alan, satine is my favourite RC surface too. Fomaspeed Variant 312 comes very close. No, you won't get black as deep as you would get them with pearl or glossy surface, but that doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that plastickly sheen you get with Ilford pearl papers.

But this is all very personal, and I know I'm in minority here. Oh, my favourite FB surface is matt.
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Old 9th December 2010, 09:04 AM
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Jon Butler Jon Butler is offline
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Alan,
I agree Ilford Satin lacks strong blacks when processed in the same way as their Pearl or Gloss versions. Satin is very popular with students as it gives a fine art look to landscape and still-life subjects on the cheap, I just got 100 sheets of 20x16 for less than £100 from Ag. and that's good for that size.

I get good blacks by over exposing the paper by about half a stop, after processing I bleach back with very weak bleach for good control and re-fix, if I go to far it can re-deved.

It also responds very well to toners including (don't try this at home children) warm Selenium, it can produce nice colours when re-deved in lith.

I started using this paper when MG 1V first came out and love it's smooth light sheen that is unique. It's my first choice when using RC paper.
JON.
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Old 9th December 2010, 10:02 AM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Thanks for the info. Jon. I agree with you and Miha that Satin has the best RC surface. I look foreward to trying your methods to get the best out of it.

Alan
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Old 18th November 2021, 01:27 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Browsing, I just came across this old thread.

But reading it, it's just good to know that there are other printers out there who also enjoy using Ilford RC satin paper.

Terry S
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Old 1st December 2021, 08:25 AM
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Miha Miha is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry S View Post
Browsing, I just came across this old thread.

But reading it, it's just good to know that there are other printers out there who also enjoy using Ilford RC satin paper.

Terry S
I have yet to try MG5 in satin. MG4 toned in Agfa Viradon New looks quite exquisite framed!
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Old 1st December 2021, 12:42 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Miha View Post
Oh, my favourite FB surface is matt.
As is mine Miha! I definitely think we are in the minority for liking RC Satin and FB Matt surfaces though. But does that bother me? Not really!

Terry S
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Old 2nd December 2021, 05:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry S View Post
As is mine Miha! I definitely think we are in the minority for liking RC Satin and FB Matt surfaces though. But does that bother me? Not really!

Terry S
Currently, I'm enjoying Fomatone in 133 (velvet)
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Old 2nd December 2021, 08:36 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Miha View Post
Currently, I'm enjoying Fomatone in 133 (velvet)
I could be wrong, but I think that I may too, might have, a packet of it in my darkroom.

I must check what I have and use them up, as I have a number of boxes of paper bought in the 1980s.

Terry S
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