Which paper is closest to graded Brilliant (Guillemot version).

[Fred L]

Working on some boxes of the older Brilliant Paper (made by Guillemot) and was wondering if anyone has experience with current papers that tone the same at the Brilliant, esp the slight aubergine cast it gets in selenium.

At this point, I would pay more for a paper that was very similar in characteristic.


tia

[Mark Sampson]

I used that paper, and I can't think of any current emulsion that has that look. I recently bought a package of Bergger double-weight glossy, but have not been able to test it properly yet. It's made in England; I assume that it's different than Ilford Multigrade, but we'll see.
As I recall, Brilliant had no optical brighteners in it. That alone would separate it from any paper I know of today. I did try one package of Adox MCC110; I really liked that paper but the company is not currently producing it.
Manufacturers discontinuing photographers' favorite papers has been happening for over a hundred years.

[Alan9940]

I would say selenium toned Adox MCC110 would probably come the closet, but that paper hasn't been readily available for quite a while now. Probably the next closest would be Adox Lupex developed in Amidol, but that's a very slow paper that cannot easily be used for enlargements; I use it for 8x10 contact prints exposed with a 250w flood. Oh, how I wish I held on to the nearly 2K sheets of Ilford Ilfobrom and Zone VI Brilliant I had in the freezer just before moving across the country. Gave it all away to the photo department of the local high school.

[Fred L]

thanks all. The stock I'm currently using is showing very slight bas fog so guess my next step is maybe add some benzotriazole. that or do selective bleaching on the highlight areas I want to keep bright.

I was also thinking Adox, but it seems to be in perpetual limbo. While I really like Bergger neutral, I haven't been able to get that aubergine cast. it does change slightly so maybe need to either let it sit in selenium longer, or maybe bump up the dilution ?

[lloyd]

nearly 2K sheets of Ilford Ilfobrom and Zone VI Brilliant I had in the freezer just before moving across the country. Gave it all away

ouch, my 2 favorite papers

[Drew Wiley]

There is nothing really similar. But there are some excellent VC papers out there that will give you quite a bit of depth of punch themselves, and are a lot easier to use than Z VI Graded Bromide. Berrger VC neutral tone can be coaxed the cold direction with gold toning and has a rich DMax, but then more resembles classic Seagull G than Brilliant. MC110 is even more purplish than Brilliant, perhaps the closest in image tone, but also less flexible in that respect, so no substitute in my opinion. Ilford MG Warmtone perhaps has the richest DMax when toned, reminiscent in that respect of good ole Brilliant. But there was a subtle kind of almost 3D effect to the deep Brilliant emulsion I've never encountered since.

[bob carnie]

This conversation is interesting, I was a Brilliant user and of course have all the Picker Books and notes. I may be committing a mortal sin here but in the last year of availability I believe the brilliant was impossible to get and the decision was made to replace the paper. This replacement was not the same, close but not the same, for a year the group selling it swore it was brilliant but I was not convinced. I went out and bought some cold tone Ilford neutral paper and tested it against this so called Brilliant- dead nuts match in exposure time , , dry down and visual comparison to the so called Brilliant. I was so pissed and from that moment on moved to other papers.
I would suggest to Fred that the new Ilford nuetral paper or cool tone paper may be a pretty much best choice. I agree with Drew that the Ilford Warmtone emulsion is pretty much the best out there right now, There was a suggestion about the Lupex which may be super but it requires longer exposures, Fred do you need the big camera back so you can do contacts.?

[Fred L]

hey Bob, I'm ok for now so if you still need to use the Intrepid, that's cool.

[Alan9940]

No question that the Brilliant paper changed toward the end. Didn't matter to me because I had an ample stock of the "real" Brilliant in my freezer at the time. I, too, agree with Drew that Ilford WT is about the best out there right now; it's my primary paper nowadays when doing enlargements. I mentioned Adox Lupex because IMO it's a beautiful paper with good dMax and just a hint of warmth. But, it has a narrow usage in that it's for contact printing only requiring a lot of light. I use it only for 8x10 contact prints.

[Bernice Loui]

This B&W paper?


Still have some from the 1990's, it was GOOD. Think by the late 1990's this Zone VI paper became No Longer Available.

There was a time when absolutely Excellent B&W print papers were available at reasonable cost. Other notable B&W print papers, Graded Oriental, Graded Agfa Insigna "fine art" which was a semi-warm tone, Dupont, Kodak and Ilford.

Seems B&W print papers peaked about 1980, then all went down hill due to the rise of "color"..


Bernice