- as with film, the image is an emulsion containing silver halides
- the base, or the support is paper rather than transparent film
BASE
- print base comes in either resin coated (RC) or fibre based (FB)
- RC paper washes quicker and takes less time to develop, stop and fix; more time efficient
- RC paper is coated on both sides with a plastic layer
- people generally use RC paper for its quicker wash times and drying times
- FB paper is generally higher quality and is more traditionally for the fine art and presentation
- according to research, FB paper is more archival than RC
Surfaces
- most brands offer several different surfaces and textures
- generally the types are named glossy (F), pearl (E), matte (N)
Color Sensitivity
- black and white papers are generally blue sensitive. This means that exposure to the opposite spectrum (amber or red) will NOT fog paper
Panchromatic Paper
- a special black and white paper that is sensitive to all visible colors
- used for making black and white prints form color negs
- must be processed and handled in complete darkness
Paper Contrast
Print Contrast: Difference in tones between the lightest areas and the darkest areas in the print
Paper Contrast: The physical response of the paper to differences in exposure. This factor controls the overall contrast of the print.
- FB paper has a larger contrast range than RC paper
- paper contrast used to be given as a number from 0 to 5
- these graded papers are generally not used anymore
- we now use multigrade or variable contrast papers
Variable Contrast Papers
- the emulsion changes contrast based on the COLOR of light used to expose the image
- yellow light produces a lower contrast
- magenta light produces a higher contrast
Image Color
- actual color or tint of black and white prints vary from paper to paper
- tint can be warm (tending to brown), neutral, or cold (tending to blue)
- another way to effect image color is to tone the print using sepia (warm), blue, or selenium toner
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