Zone VI Brilliant Paper v. '86-'92?

[Michael Wainfeld]

A bunch on EBay-that's 20 yrs old though!

[RichardRitter]

Its still should be good I am printing on Brillant made in 1982.

[jeroldharter]

I still have some from 1996 that is good. I know this has been discussed somewhere, but who are the past and present manufacturers of Brilliant paper? I notice that the maximum size currently is 11x14.

[Phil Hudson]

My 5/6 year old stash of Brilliant VCIII stock is almost certainly reboxed Ilford MGFB and the graded stuff I believe is Galerie. This is in black boxes with silver labels.

[Drew Wiley]

The Ilford stuff marketed by Calumet, either VC or graded, never even remotely resembled the older Zone VI graded bromide, for which there really is no equivalent today. It was really rich stuff, with peculiarities and a distinct image tone. But nothing around today can match those blacks, due both to a lot of silver but also
due to a very steep curve in the shadows. Kentmere Fineprint is the closest thing I
can find.

[Arne Croell]

I still have some from 1996 that is good. I know this has been discussed somewhere, but who are the past and present manufacturers of Brilliant paper? I notice that the maximum size currently is 11x14.

The original Brilliant graded paper was made by Guilleminot Boespflug in France, they stopped production in the late 1990's.

[Allen in Montreal]

The original Brilliant graded paper was made by Guilleminot Boespflug in France, they stopped production in the late 1990's.

I am on my last box of graded 11x14.

It was great paper.

[William McEwen]

This month I discovered some Zone VI Brilliant Bromide II Grade 3 and 4 that I've had for many years. It still prints with marvelous blacks. It was a good paper. However, it is not quite double weight, and it is still the most curly of any paper after it dries.

[Allen in Montreal]

All that curl sounds horrible!
FB paper curls less up here in the great white north due to the cold, ice and humidity, maybe you should ship up the remaining grade three!

This month I discovered some Zone VI Brilliant Bromide II Grade 3 and 4 that I've had for many years. It still prints with marvelous blacks. It was a good paper. However, it is not quite double weight, and it is still the most curly of any paper after it dries.

[Bruce Barlow]

When I did my paper/developer tests back in the early Oughts, Richard Ritter kindly offered me a box of Brilliant for testing. I declined, saying that it wouldn't be right to test a paper no longer available.

Years later, I was proofing hundreds of negatives using the leftovers from testing. I also had a little bit of leftover Brilliant Grade 2 myself. All of a sudden the proofs glowed. I think I mught have cried.

Fortunately, if you want to contact print, I'll match Lodima from Michael Smith and Paula Chamlee against Brilliant today. Lodima might actually be a touch better. No, I'm not doing any more tests!