Glossy Contacts?

[John Curran]

Hey all, I'm looking for advice and recommendations for a glossy paper for 4x5 contact prints. I am presently using Ilford MGIV RC De Luxe for this purpose and it works really great for matt finish. I'm looking for a paper that's glossy and maybe a little more contrasty just for a change-up.

Thanks in advance.

John

[Jerevan]

Not sure if this is what you use already, but the Ilford RC Deluxe Glossy variation comes to mind at first, but I suppose there are other alternatives. BTW, 4x5 contacts have a nice, gem-like quality, I think.

Other alternatives are Kentmere VC Select RC and Foma Fomaspeed Variant RC, but I can't comment on these as I haven't tried them.

[WarEaglemtn]

Use a good quality gloss surface fibre paper and a ferrotype tin. Has worked for highest gloss possible for 70+ years.

[John Curran]

Use a good quality gloss surface fibre paper and a ferrotype tin. Has worked for highest gloss possible for 70+ years.

Could you elaborate on a ferrotype tin? I have an older photography textbook that refers to drying glossies on a ferrotype tin, but I have never seen nor heard of one of these before. What are they made of? Do photo stores still carry them? Where can I get/make one of these? Does the tin mark or mar the surface of the print? Are they essential to getting or enhancing a glossy finish?

Thanks in advance,

John

[fschifano]

A ferrotype tin is a sheet of flexible steel, highly polished and chrome plated on one side. They must be kept immaculately clean and be completely free of surface defects. The emulsion side of the paper is pressed into close contact with the polished side of the plate. Any air bubble or bit of dirt will ruin the ferrotyping job. This is not an easy thing to do. I've had better luck using a sheet of plate glass. It's easier to clean, and not as easy to scratch. The downside is that you cannot put the glass in a print dryer, so you'll need to be patient. When dry, the print will have popped off the glass or plate. If it doesn't, then something is wrong.

A well executed, ferrotyped print will have a finish more glossy than the slickest of glossy resin coated papers and is, to my eye at least, beautiful. They look best as small to medium sized prints, no larger than 8x10. The best paper for the job is single weight fiber which is very rare today. Perhaps the technique can be used with double weight papers as well. Freestyle is selling single weight, glossy, fiber based papers from Slavich. All are graded, not variable contrast papers.

[z-man]

A ferrotype tin is a sheet of flexible steel, highly polished and chrome plated on one side. They must be kept immaculately clean and be completely free of surface defects. The emulsion side of the paper is pressed into close contact with the polished side of the plate. Any air bubble or bit of dirt will ruin the ferrotyping job. This is not an easy thing to do. I've had better luck using a sheet of plate glass. It's easier to clean, and not as easy to scratch. The downside is that you cannot put the glass in a print dryer, so you'll need to be patient. When dry, the print will have popped off the glass or plate. If it doesn't, then something is wrong.

A well executed, ferrotyped print will have a finish more glossy than the slickest of glossy resin coated papers and is, to my eye at least, beautiful. They look best as small to medium sized prints, no larger than 8x10. The best paper for the job is single weight fiber which is very rare today. Perhaps the technique can be used with double weight papers as well. Freestyle is selling single weight, glossy, fiber based papers from Slavich. All are graded, not variable contrast papers.

it is a wonderful ting to read a post from some one who actually did something and then came up with a solution to the problem--a problem which gave birth to the glossy rc paper that rescued us back in the day

the surface you get by such a method is a result of the high polish of the surface that the gelatine heat forms against

the high gloss that a succesful albumin print is capable of cant really be equalled by gelatine-imo

when polyurothane coatings became available a heavy layer was the standard way to get the ultimate gloss-perhaps you might try that way? not sure that the present water base would do the same tho

learning to coat with a a clear gloss via spray is of course an art unto itself which is why the brushing on of the old poly was so quickly accepted

try looking up "decoupage"-there are modern materials that are made for that time honored craft

vaya con dios

[John Curran]

A ferrotype tin is a sheet of flexible steel, highly polished and chrome plated on one side. They must be kept immaculately clean and be completely free of surface defects. The emulsion side of the paper is pressed into close contact with the polished side of the plate. Any air bubble or bit of dirt will ruin the ferrotyping job. This is not an easy thing to do. I've had better luck using a sheet of plate glass. It's easier to clean, and not as easy to scratch. The downside is that you cannot put the glass in a print dryer, so you'll need to be patient. When dry, the print will have popped off the glass or plate. If it doesn't, then something is wrong.

A well executed, ferrotyped print will have a finish more glossy than the slickest of glossy resin coated papers and is, to my eye at least, beautiful. They look best as small to medium sized prints, no larger than 8x10. The best paper for the job is single weight fiber which is very rare today. Perhaps the technique can be used with double weight papers as well. Freestyle is selling single weight, glossy, fiber based papers from Slavich. All are graded, not variable contrast papers.

Thanks for the info.

John