Anyone know a lith paper that doesn't have banding issues?

[Jersey Vic]

Sometimes I can work with it but I've an image with some delicate shadow seperation that's just getting lost in the banding on Fomatone. I've had the same problem with Varycon, Kentona and Emak. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Victor

[Bob Carnie]

Oriental G4 graded , used with two enlargers , one for the image and one for flash will produce creamy smooth tones.
Developed in NovaLith AB 1:8

Originally Posted by Jersey Vic

Sometimes I can work with it but I've an image with some delicate shadow seperation that's just getting lost in the banding on Fomatone. I've had the same problem with Varycon, Kentona and Emak. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Victor

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I had some banding issues Kentmere Kentona, and with Forte Polygrade. I suspect it has to do with how the paper is coated.

I've had very smooth tonal gradations with Fomatone, without banding such as you're experiencing. Varycon and Emaks has been kind to me as well, exhibiting a uniformly coated surface. The smoothest lith results I've ever had was with Ilford MGWT. Their coating machine must be something else. But the color of the Ilford prints can be a bit weird, so you'll have to get creative with toning. Just selenium alone will greatly improve the image quality, and if you time it right, you can use the green tone in the original to get some neat split tones.

Is the banding you're referring to lines that go across the entire sheet, side to side?

- Thomas

[Andrew Moxom]

Victor, I've not had banding issues with Fomatone papers. Mind you, I use glossy paper for nearly all of my lith work. I know you and Thomas prefer matt type paper finishes, I wonder if that has anything to do with it?

[Jersey Vic]

Wow-all excellent and knowledgeable answers-Thanks APUG!

Thanks Again Bob - so modern G4 will lith. There's been discussion on this topic but I will take your word for it. Your lith work is great.
Thomas: I'm going to try the Ilford too. The price is insane but so are 40 minute dev times for prints that suck in the end.
Andrew: Good point. I do like matt papers. I've some slavich matt and glossy I'm going to try as well and will let you know what happens.

[tim rudman]

Originally Posted by Jersey Vic

Sometimes I can work with it but I've an image with some delicate shadow seperation that's just getting lost in the banding on Fomatone. I've had the same problem with Varycon, Kentona and Emak. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Victor

Can you show a scan of this banding Victor?
Tim

[tmike]

Some of the banding that I'VE had has been caused by me. Sometimes when the tray development process is extremely long and I'm bored or distracted, I've inadvertently let the paper rise to the top of the developer for too long and that causes uneven development. It can appear as almost-parallel bands; usually around the centre of the image, tho' that depends on how the particular paper curls. If I must leave a paper for 30 seconds or so, I've taken to carefully weighting it with something in order to keep it immersed.

[Mark Layne]

Originally Posted by Jersey Vic

Sometimes I can work with it but I've an image with some delicate shadow seperation that's just getting lost in the banding on Fomatone. I've had the same problem with Varycon, Kentona and Emak. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Victor

Vic
The only paper I have had serious problems with banding with is the Fomatone Chamois-and not every image. It must be a nightmare for a manufacturer to coat that surface. I still think Fomatone 131 glossy is the best lith paper for color currently available, but needs very dilute developer for best colour.
Sadly there is nothing today to equal OLD Kentona.
Mark

[semeuse]

I've had good results with the Slavich papers - though they seem to be very grainy in lith developers

[Jersey Vic]

Thanks Tim, Mike, Mark and semeuse. Very helpful information.

I've posted a print with the banding in the shadows. I tried sharpening the image a bit more but the Foma 542's texture becomes very prominent:
http://www.apug.org/gallery/showphot...45&ppuser=2517

I posted a non lith version for comparisons sake: http://www.apug.org/gallery/showphot...44&ppuser=2517

In the lith print you can best see the horizontal banding lines in the tree branches near the top in the center of the print and in the shadow areas on the right side. My apologies for the bad scans..this is tough paper to scan.

Cheers

Victor