[pure-silver] Re: Warmtone prints revisited

> How do you like the Forte paper?  I was considering
> trying it if I couldn't get my hands on enough Ilford
> to finish this project.  What developer do you use
> with it?

The Forte paper is pretty good overall, and has a nice "look", but it has a
few annoying weaknesses:

1) It will not go above contrast 3, no matter what you try.  On the other
hand, using a color head, this gives you a wide spread of specific contrast
levels you can exploit.

2) It take toners beautifully -- but maybe too easily, in that it tones too
quickly for my taste.  However, for a reason I can't fathom at all,
significant amounts of toner effects, primarily selenium, are seen to "wash
out" in the wash, believe it or not.  When toning in selenium, I always tone
well beyond the effect I really want, because after washing, the effect will
be much weaker.  It's a bit of a crap shoot.

3) Forte has some well-known batch-to-batch inconsistency issues.  A few
weeks ago, I finished up a box of 50 sheets of 11x14 that I wasn't really
happy with.  At the same time, I'm most of the way through a box of 16x20
which is terrific; I've just mounted/framed some 16x20s on Forte which I'm
giving as gifts this coming weekend.

I use Ansco 125 (MQ) or Ansco 130 (equivalently, Fomulary BW65) with very
good results.  The MQ gives a somewhat "snappier" image.

Don Feinberg
ducque@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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