Black White

Black White

Those of you, who are processing your own black and white materials, and passed the stage of experiencing the process, will at some stage want to select a suitable paper for your work. For the wet process the options are becoming less and less as digital photography takes a firm grasp on the industry. However, the same paper principles apply today as did a hundred years ago and you need to know these in order to choose wisely.

There are fewer papers on the market today and they are becoming more expensive as niche companies produce quality papers for an ever shrinking market. So with this in mind, find a paper you know will be available for years to come.

There are two main printing paper types on the market today and they can be simply described as fibre and resin coated.

A) FIBRE

When looking at fibre papers there are several characteristics to take into consideration:

1.Paper Base

The paper used for the base of photographic papers must be exceptionally pure. Photographic base paper is manufactured at special mills where the greatest care is taken to ensure its purity.

Before it is coated with emulsion, the base is usually coated with a paste of gelatin and a white pigment known as 'baryta' (barium sulphate). The purpose is to provide a pure white foundation for the emulsion giving maximum reflection. Baryta is chosen because it is a pure white pigment which is highly insoluble and without any harmful action on the paper.

2. Tint

The colour or tint of the paper base may be white or one of a variety of shades of cream. In general cream papers tend to give an impression of warmth. A white base may be used to simulate coldness and delicacy.

3. Chemistry

Bromide papers have as the main active ingredient silver bromide. This yields a cool neutral-black print but may be given warmth with special toning techniques.

4. Chlorobromide

Chlorobromide papers have both silver bromide and silver chloride mixed in the emulsion. The silver chloride content gives the print a warm tone. Combine this with a tinted cream base; a very warm print can be achieved without toning.

B) RESIN COATED (RC)

Many modern papers are not coated with baryta, but are coated on both sides with a layer of polyethylene and are known as PE or RC papers. This coating is impermeable to water, which prevents the paper base from absorbing water and processing chemicals. This results in substantially shorter washing and drying times than are required by baryta coated papers.

Those who want a quick result economically, and prepared to sacrifice quality to get it, generally favour RC papers. These papers require far less processing time than their sister paper, fibre. They also require less attention to chemical residue than fibre. These papers are by nature, much simpler to use than fibre.

Those wanting exceptional quality and permanence generally choose fibre paper over RC. Fibre costs more, and is more difficult and time consuming to use, but produces by far the best rendering of a photograph.

Fibre paper is the paper of choice for the creative, experienced black and white printer, who wants to achieve maximum performance from the paper. This paper tends to provide a more quality finished product than the resin coated.

Chlorobromide fibre is generally sought out by printers who wish to manipulate the print with toners and other chemicals for tonal variations and also for archival processing. Chlorobromide papers respond very well to both these applications.

The matter of choice rests with the individual and of course, printing skills and experience. Those wanting to achieve a certain feel or look in their prints, may choose one paper type over the other. They are both very individual papers and have very different characteristics and produce entirely diverse results.

Roo du Jardin is a photographer who runs an informational website about Online Photography Courses. Read some more tips, techniques and resources at Online Photography Courses blog.

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