Present state of Lith printing, what are you using?

[Greg]

Am looking to get back to doing some Lith Printing. Papers I used back when are no longer available. Anyone have any recommendations of presently available papers and chemistry?
thanks

[bob carnie]

I have just done a series using LD20 chemistry, with Art 300 paper , then sepia, gold selenium tone, if you like a textured copper look WARM this is a nice combination

Am about to do another series same chemistry and toning but use Slavich 4 as the source paper. This project will be 13 enlarged silver negatives produced to a nice contrast to lith print.

I am also trying out Berrger paper during both sessions to see how it liths.

[koraks]

Not much experience here, but Fomabrom seems to lith quite readily and rapidly.

[andreios]

Not much experience here, but Fomabrom seems to lith quite readily and rapidly.

Fomatone, not fomabrom. Well, You can get nice gritty peppery dark prints from Fomabrom as well, with the right combination of ingredients and luck, but for easily lithing paper choose fomatone.
(The now discontinued Fomabrom IV 123 was ok though, in a way similar to the Late Varycon)


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[adelorenzo]

I'm using Fomatone 131, 132 papers and Moersch Easy Lith. I'm new to lith so haven't used anything else but I'm quite happy with the results.

[koraks]

(The now discontinued Fomabrom IV 123 was ok though, in a way similar to the Late Varycon)


Yeah, that's the one I've tried. My supplier still lists it, but maybe it's old stock?
Also tried several Adox papers, but they didn't work well. The RC papers just show horrible coating artifacts while MCC does the peppercorn thing quite badly.

[greginpa]

Spent the day today in the darkroom lithing with success, 1940s Dupont Defender with a super rough surface and Portriga Rapid. Easy Lith. Surprisingly they both expose and develop at the same rate and share a nice rich chocolate brown.

[adelorenzo]

Apparently there is a limited run of Fomabrom 123 coming out. Needs to be pre-ordered.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Darkroom/comments/5ve2by/fomabrom_123_is_back_at_least_for_a_limited_run/

[Greg]

Spent the day today in the darkroom lithing with success, 1940s Dupont Defender with a super rough surface and Portriga Rapid. Easy Lith. Surprisingly they both expose and develop at the same rate and share a nice rich chocolate brown.

Thanks ever so much for your post. I have a pile of boxes of fiber base Zone VI Brilliant, Ilfford Galerie, Agfa Portriga Rapid, and more. Was wondering how to use them and now definitely will try Lith printing with those papers.
Greg

[Wally H]

I like warm papers for lith. Fomatone and Oriental warmtone give identical images but I prefer the Oriental for its consistency. Those are really the only papers I like for straight lith. If you are looking for 'gritty city' type images I suspect Slavich 4 (in Arista lith developer?) is the ticket. I have tried to get something I like out of Art 300 but for me it is a heart breaker (however Bob Carnie is the master so I would like to see his images).

2nd pass lith is a different story and that is where Fomabrom (as well as the papers above) comes into its own.

[greginpa]

Thanks ever so much for your post. I have a pile of boxes of fiber base Zone VI Brilliant, Ilfford Galerie, Agfa Portriga Rapid, and more. Was wondering how to use them and now definitely will try Lith printing with those papers.
Greg

I really like the Portriga. I have some fogged Zone VI Brilliant I'm going to try the next session. Have fun. it's kinda cool how fog has no apparent bearing on the results.
Greg

[plaubel]

Since you are asking for available materials, I can speak about Fomabrom Variant ( not a real Lith paper, but it works .
Fomatone in it's actual constellation works fine, but one have to accept ( or to work against) strong colors in the final print.
I'm not sure if the traditional emulsion of Multigrade IV still is available, but it works .
Can't speak for the new emulsion called classic, I have to try next..

The other thing is redevelopment; after bleaching a normal print in a copper bleacher, you can redevelop several papers, which normally don't lith, in a Lith developer.

Ritchie

[andreios]

Fomatone in it's actual constellation works fine, but one have to accept ( or to work against) strong colors in the final print.

It is easy to subdue the tendency of the paper to explode the colours - and / or to tone the print afterwards - it cools very nicely in both selenium or gold toners..

[plaubel]

So Selen after Lith development will bring cooler tones?
Thanks for this, Andreios.

Ritchie

[andreios]

So Selen after Lith development will bring cooler tones?
Thanks for this, Andreios.

Ritchie

It will.. I especially like to use Moersch's Carbon toner - wich is combination of selenium and sulfide, if I remember correctly...

[plaubel]

Yesterday I immediately have done some Fomatone Lithprints for testing the Selenium downcooling thing :-)
I never have been interested in a Carbon toner, but I may give him a chance, after looking on my Selenium results.

There is so much to do/ to learn in the darkroom...

Ritchie

[andreios]

I'd say it's worth trying.. I never really got the hang of it on regular silver prints, but I do like it for kallitypes and especially for lith prints as mentioned before..
If only I could squeeze more "darkroom time" out of my weeks... :/