Ilford Printing Paper Costs Blowout.

[Serge S]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for posting.
When I get my darkroom finally up & running, I will try your method.

That is a nice compliment, thank you Hans .. when Ilford introduced this wonderful paper, Sample kits were sent to printers world wide approx 1994 or 95 era, if I can remember correct we got 5 boxes each that contained about 10 sheets of 8 x 10 paper, the only reference was the colour of the box. We were asked to give our straight out opinion of which paper was in our opinion the best paper. I chose the red box as did most of the printers and for a long time Ilford used a reddish box for this paper.

I have been split printing from day one this paper was released, many people have different opinions and ways of using this paper... Some use 0 and 5 - I do not use 0 unless I want to flash in some density in the highlights , I have found that using 0 has a solarizing effect on the blacks with this paper .... so for me in my darkroom I use a low contrast and 5 contrast method of printing, If I am using my Devere enlarger which is dichroic I will adjust the aperture and timer to have around a 8 second to 20 second base low filter exposure. then I will hit the timer without adjusting the time or aperture to balance out the contrast that is determined by the ORIGINAL scene. If its a low contrast ORIGINAL scene then I could hit the timer with 200 magenta two, three , or four times to get the over all contrast. When setting the low contrast , once again the ORIGINAL scene lighting ratio is determined , so a bright sunny day with deep shadows I may start with grade 1/2 or equivalent magenta, and I will make a light and slightly soft print to get as much highlight detail in my print, then I will hit the timer with 200 magenta or grade 5 filter as many times to accomplish the overall print I need.
By keeping my time around 10 seconds for the initial exposure I can determine dodge and burns by % of the overall time in the low contrast hit and the high contrast hit. If the ORIGINAL scene is low and flat lighting ratio then I will start with a higher filter or magenta number but still make a light and soft initial exposure then hit the timer with the higher contrast setting as many times I think needed.

Then when I am happy I will make two or three prints more with the same dodge burn , contrast settings but adjust the timer 1 or 2 seconds up or down so the next day I have three prints with the same PLAN but slightly different densities and I let the client or myself pick the image they like.

We do this with enlarge digital negatives as well via contact , it is obvious that the dodge and burn is harder. My young assistant has never made enlarger prints YET but she has done many shows with me and the fact she does not know the difference between dodging and burning on an enlarged contact verses an optical enlarger print is good, she is learning the hard way and when she starts putting negs in the enlarger she will see how easier the dodge and burn actually is.

I hope this makes a bit of sense to some using split printing methods.

[Hugo Zhang]

Is it true that Ilford has discontinued their Galeris FB graded paper?

[Sal Santamaura]

Is it true that Ilford has discontinued their Galeris FB graded paper?

Yes.

[PhillyPete]

That is a nice compliment, thank you Hans .. when Ilford introduced this wonderful paper, Sample kits were sent to printers world wide approx 1994 or 95 era, if I can remember correct we got 5 boxes each that contained about 10 sheets of 8 x 10 paper, the only reference was the colour of the box. We were asked to give our straight out opinion of which paper was in our opinion the best paper. I chose the red box as did most of the printers and for a long time Ilford used a reddish box for this paper.

I have been split printing from day one this paper was released, many people have different opinions and ways of using this paper... Some use 0 and 5 - I do not use 0 unless I want to flash in some density in the highlights , I have found that using 0 has a solarizing effect on the blacks with this paper .... so for me in my darkroom I use a low contrast and 5 contrast method of printing, If I am using my Devere enlarger which is dichroic I will adjust the aperture and timer to have around a 8 second to 20 second base low filter exposure. then I will hit the timer without adjusting the time or aperture to balance out the contrast that is determined by the ORIGINAL scene. If its a low contrast ORIGINAL scene then I could hit the timer with 200 magenta two, three , or four times to get the over all contrast. When setting the low contrast , once again the ORIGINAL scene lighting ratio is determined , so a bright sunny day with deep shadows I may start with grade 1/2 or equivalent magenta, and I will make a light and slightly soft print to get as much highlight detail in my print, then I will hit the timer with 200 magenta or grade 5 filter as many times to accomplish the overall print I need.
By keeping my time around 10 seconds for the initial exposure I can determine dodge and burns by % of the overall time in the low contrast hit and the high contrast hit. If the ORIGINAL scene is low and flat lighting ratio then I will start with a higher filter or magenta number but still make a light and soft initial exposure then hit the timer with the higher contrast setting as many times I think needed.

Then when I am happy I will make two or three prints more with the same dodge burn , contrast settings but adjust the timer 1 or 2 seconds up or down so the next day I have three prints with the same PLAN but slightly different densities and I let the client or myself pick the image they like.

We do this with enlarge digital negatives as well via contact , it is obvious that the dodge and burn is harder. My young assistant has never made enlarger prints YET but she has done many shows with me and the fact she does not know the difference between dodging and burning on an enlarged contact verses an optical enlarger print is good, she is learning the hard way and when she starts putting negs in the enlarger she will see how easier the dodge and burn actually is.

I hope this makes a bit of sense to some using split printing methods.

Great info and thanks Bob, I'll give this a try now that my darkroom is back up and running.

[bob carnie]

Great info and thanks Bob, I'll give this a try now that my darkroom is back up and running.

Hi Pete

I try not to think of it as 0 and 5 split but rather low filter and high filter which in my case is determined by the Original Scene and of course the type of development of the negative.

[Bill Burk]

Is it true that Ilford has discontinued their Galeris FB graded paper?

In a panic, I just snapped some up off eBay. 11x14 little less than a dollar a sheet.
For better or worse at this rate I'll take my chances.

[Hugo Zhang]

In a panic, I just snapped some up off eBay. 11x14 little less than a dollar a sheet.
For better or worse at this rate I'll take my chances.

Just be careful with papers from eBay. Unlike film, they don't have an expiration date on their boxes. More than half of the photo papers I got from eBay were unusable. Threw them away.

It is interesting that the last batch of Ilford Galerie paper had the word "Galerie" omitted and no grade mark either. Just ILFORD ILFOBROM FB GLOSSY. But same IGFB31K.

[Drew Wiley]

The last of the Galerie bromide paper was Gr 3. The local camera store had piles of 11X14 boxes a couple years ago, both Gr 2 and Gr 3, but so old that nobody wanted it. I sure didn't. It's been about 5 yrs since I printed on relatively fresh 16X20 gr 3. An excellent paper, but neither my favorite at any time, nor as versatile for me as a number of other papers, with my favorite graded versions being Seagull G, Brilliant Bromide, and Agfa Portriga. I still have a stash of EMaks graded, another superb product. But Galerie was one of the first papers I ever used, and was deservedly around for a long time.

[Bill Burk]

Just be careful with papers from eBay. Unlike film, they don't have an expiration date on their boxes. More than half of the photo papers I got from eBay were unusable. Threw them away.

So far my luck has been good. Of all the Galerie paper I have bought online, only one box had any significant fog. And it was a box the seller threw in for free.
If it has fog, I'll use it for something.

[Hugo Zhang]

So far my luck has been good. Of all the Galerie paper I have bought online, only one box had any significant fog. And it was a box the seller threw in for free.
If it has fog, I'll use it for something.

I have just checked ebay and your papers seem good. Good deal!