Ektalure: a depressing (re)discovery

[Richard K.]

My friend who's had to give up photography brought me back several boxes of paper which I had given him years ago (ca. 1986), including a few packets of Ektalure in 8x10 and 11x14 in G, X, K and R surfaces. I contact printed several WP and 7x11 negs from my trip West earlier this year and all I can say is #@$@#$$!%!!! No, I don't want to revisit the Lamentia Papyra but really, just exactly when did we accept such quality loss? Did we ever have a chance at reversing it? Does expediency and convenience trump quality? Nevermind. My goal now is to recover all the last remaining world supply of Ektalure, G surface. Let me know if you have some frozen and are willing to part with it... Keeping something this good will only depress you when you start running out. I'm here to help.

BTW, I have a couple of (unopened) packs of 8x10 R (tweed?) surface which I don't need and will eBay unless you want to buy it.

BTW2, What were the various Ektalure surfaces?

[Jay DeFehr]

Richard,I don't have any Ektalure, but I have at least 10 250ct 8x10 boxes of Ansco Allura, given me by a retired portrait photographer. It's a very similar paper, I think. The stuff I have is very heavy, warm toned, with a watercolor surface. Several of the boxes are unopened. The prints I've made from the open boxes show some fogging, so I plan to fix them out and use it for carbon printing. Very nice stuff.

[Greg Lockrey]

Fine Grain Lustre E (WM-WH) (DW) G (CR) (DW)
Fine Grai High Lustre K (WM-WH) (DW)
Tweed Lustre R (CR) (DW)
Silk Lustre Y (WM-WH) (DW)
Tapestry Lustre X (CR) (DW)

At least that's what they were in the day....

[Mark Sawyer]

Try the Foma Chamois-surface fb paper. Not identical to Ektalure G, but similar and just as nice (in my eyes).

[CP Goerz]

I have some 16x20 Ektalure but there isn't any way am I giving it up...I LOVE that paper! Sadly I fell in love too late and it was already being discontinued when I tried it.


Did you ever try the other paper that Kodak made called PX-3000 or something? Its pretty nice too.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I've got a 25 sheet box of 1952 Opal "G" that I'd be willing to part with. Found some Velour Black and warmtone 11x14 from the 50's also!

[goamules]

Old paper gives odd results. I've been there, done that. I also got an unopened pack of Dupont Velour Black the other day that I need to try though...just because. But all the old Kodak expired paper I have used causes extreme problems in the darkroom.

[BetterSense]

I have an image on 35mm that I originally printed on some expired Mitsubishi paper that I got at a garage sale. I have never been able to reprint that negative to my satisfaction on any other paper.

[Randy]

I have about 8-10 sheets of 8X10 Ektalure-X that I purchased new back in the mid 70's. The last print I made was from a 4X5 neg about 12 years ago. May have to see what it will do now.

[Allen in Montreal]

Richard,

It was a great paper indeed.

Ektalure was one of my father's favorite papers. It was about all he would allow me to print his negs on (I did all his printing for the last 25 years of his life).

I actually preferred the old Insignia and hoarded it when I heard the game was over for that paper. I wish I had stocked up more Ektalure at the time.

If this helps you date any left over paper you find:

Ektaulure was discontinued in 1999.
These packets would have come from around 1996/97 as they are marked with Kodak's sponsorship of the Atlanta games, 1996.
This paper is still fine but has lost perhaps a half grade, but no base fog is visible.

I bought up some left over French made Brilliant (Zone 6) with mixed success.
2/3 of the haul was fine, 1/3 was scrap.

(I don't want to part with the paper, I just thought it might help you date acquisitions of the last years of Ektalure)