I am returning to darkroom work after 20 years away from it. I am having trouble finding RC papers capable of yielding the deep blacks attained in the past (and still on display around the home). The best so far is Agfa MCP 310 RC, but even this seems just a little thin in the deepest blacks. Papers tried so far also include Kodak Polymax Professional and Ilfospeed graded RC. For developers I have tried individually Dektol, Ilford Bromophen, Polymax-T, and also Selectol-soft followed by each of those. Have extended times, fooled with dilutions. Still searching. Can anyone recommend an RC paper or a paper/developer combination that will yield deep blacks? Or will I have to resort to FB paper to get the blacks I am searching for? --Sam

-- Sam (selkind149@aol.com), August 05, 1999

Answers

I recommend trying AMALOCO T 50 Extra-Max, a recently developed selenium toner. It is said to increase the D_max of b&w papers by 0,15 to 0,25. The company claims this even holds for RC papers. (Acc. to their product info the D_max of Multigrade IV RC is increased from 2,15 to 2,3, and similar values are given for other papers.) I a recent issue of a photo magazine, the toner is highly recommended for rich blacks.

I got my first bottle yesterday but didn't have the time to test it yet. So I am in no position to substantiate the claim.

AMALOCO is a Dutch company. For Germany, their distributor is a mail-order company named phototec (www.phototec.de) who does ship things to other countries.

-- Thomas Wollstein (thomas_wollstein@web.de), August 06, 1999.

I've recently gone back to FB papers because of image quality. If you want the best, then FB papers are the only way to go.

I stuck with RC papers for a long time because of the washing and flat drying advantages. I'm now using the Ilford Archival Process (short fix, short wash and wash aid)to reduce washing times. I also picked up a dry mount press($200 used)to deal with the flatness issue. There are other techniques to get FB prints flat short of pressing in a dry mount press or dry mounting. For example redrying prints under the weight of several books.

For RC paper, you could try Ethol LPD paper developer at full strenght to get better blacks. RC papers don't tone as well in 20:1 Kodak Selenium, but I recently conducted an experiment and if you tone for long times, 15 minutes, you will get a noticable darkening of the blacks(I actually toned one half of a MG VI RC print for 15 minutes and could see a notable difference). I'm not sure of any problems that might result from such a long time in the toner.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@worldnet.att.net), August 06, 1999.

Gene,

I've found that when I selenium tone Illford MGIV RC more than 4 or 5 minutes (20:1) I get a very distinct purple tone (which I don't like). 4-5 minutes of toning cuts the greenish cast and produces a pretty nuetral tone, but results in a barely noticeable darkening of deep blacks (not too important to me). Do you experience the "purple problem" with 15 minutes of toning?

-- Chris Patti (cmpatti@aol.com), August 06, 1999.

I have been recently working on the same problem.

My conculsions:

Agfa premium RC- not too bad bad- my choice for a popular price and easy to find product.

Forte polygrade V- Better and mighty good- best choice so far.

Kodak polygrade II- Nice deep blacks but developer incoroorated which scares me.

Oriental- Really nice- somewhat more money- currently only available in glossy- I prefer pearl.

Ilford IV- Disapointing.

-- WES MARTINSON (WESMARTINSON@USA.NET), August 07, 1999.

Chris:

I toned the Ilford RC print for 15 minute in 20:1 Kodak selenium toner. I've never noticed any purple tone to prints toned in 20:1.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@worldnet.att.net), August 09, 1999.

I use higher concentrations of selenium toner in my mix (1:7), and I have noticed a distinct red cast -- occasionally -- in the Ilford Multigrade IV RC. How red it gets in the toner seems to depend on what contrast I use the paper at. And since I've only ever encountered it in prints from Tech Pan portraits with flash, chances are it was used between grades 00 and 1/2 (Ilford filters). I do remember a toning time of 6 minutes for one of the reddish prints.

-- John O'Connell (oconnell@siam.org), August 09, 1999.

Using selenium toner at higher consentrations is intended to give the purple tone. The 20:1 is just for image intensification and preservation

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@worldnet.att.net), August 09, 1999.

It sounds to me like you already know that the best blacks are found in FB papers. Pat

-- pat j. krentz (krentz@cci-29palms.com), August 25, 1999.

If you'd like to stay with the Agfa RC paper, I've found that it gives richer blacks with Agfa Neutol than with either the Agfa or Ilford MC developers.

-- Duane Kucheran (dkucheran@creo.com), August 25, 1999.

I've tried all of the suggestions above over the course of the last year. I recently tried a batch of Kodak (yes, Kodak)Polymax Fine Art FB (in Dektol 1:2) and was very impressed by the depth and neutral color of the blacks and the brillance of the whites. My previous choice had been Zone VI Brilliant. I have never found an RC paper, with the possible exception of Agfa Premium, which can render a tonal scale as long or deep as the best FB papers. The other problem is that the RC surface is just too glossy..with the possible exception of the Agfa 312..semi matte (but that's a bit too flat for my taste)

-- C MATTER (charles.matter@riag.com), August 26, 1999.

Quality prints start with quality negatives, and there is no negative that is ideal for all papers. I tend to somewhat overexpose negatives intended for printing on Kodak RC papers. This gives a little more contrast and detail in the shadows. By exposing the paper long enough to barely lose detail in the deepest shadows, and by developing the paper fully, you can reach the maximum black the paper and developer is capable of. Kodak Polymax is adequate for my work.

-- jim jones (jjones@greenhills.net), August 26, 1999.

I would not think of Selectol Soft for the deepest blacks possible. I recognize your experience of not that deep black with Dektol, depends on solution too. This can be an advantage if you use Selenium as a standard procedure. I do not know Zone VI papers, but Premium is in my experience the blackest of the three most common brands. Since I use AGfa MC Dev., I'm satisfied with my blacks. BTW, do you use glossy papers? This is rather relevant for the D-max of the paper.

-- Lot (lotw@wxs.nl), August 29, 1999.

I recently switched from RC for FB. Last night, I was looking over a number of recent prints. The FB prints with selenium are SO much better than the RC (both Ilford MG VI) that there just is no contest!!! The FB prints almost shimmer with black-blacks and sparkling whites, while the RC prints, a pearl finish and also toned, look like they have been coated with a layer of dust, just down right dull.

I'm now a confirmed convert!!

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@worldnet.att.net), September 01, 1999.

There is a reason that almost all fine art printers use FB glossy paper for printing their work. The tonal range is the greatest and the paper yields the best color of all papers. Deepest blacks and whitest whites. RC was developed for machine processing, not fine art prints. If anyone has doubts, print on both types of paper and look at them side by side. Case closed. Yeah RC is cheaper. But is this what you want for your images to be shown on? I hope not. James

-- james (james_mickelson@hotmail.com), September 03, 1999.

Just use Amaloco T50 for deeper blacks on RC paper (it also works as a selenium toner on FB-papers. Look on www.wolt.nl for sending it to you.

-- Johan van 't Leven (awinkel01@freeler.nl), March 19, 2002.

Ansco 130 gives beautiful blacks with lots of shadow detail with the Agfa RC papers. I'd love to know how Amidol would work.

-- Bill (bmitch@comcast.net), March 19, 2002.