Fibre Based Prints
All photographic papers are fibre based. Note that I said papers – some photographs are actually printed on plastic sheets rather than onto paper, as is the case with Cibachrome (Ilfachrome) prints.Fibre-based (FB) papers use a highly refined wood pulp base. This wood pulp allows them to absorb all the processing chemicals into the papers core. To preserve the print, the photographic chemicals must be thoroughly washed out of the paper. If this is not done, the chemicals trapped within the paper will continue to “develop” the print – making it look stained or discoloured over time.
To make the print even more long-lasting, the FB print should be “toned”. The toning process involves the conversion of the silver within the print to other metallic compounds, compounds that don’t oxidize (tarnish) as silver does. Prints must be handled carefully as any mark or blemish on the print will be exaggerated by the toning process. For example, finger prints can prevent the toning chemicals from fully reacting with the silver, making the conversion incomplete.
For archival permanence, fibre-based prints should be air dried. Since they may not dry flat on their own they may require flattening under weight or in a press. Properly processed (and stored) FB prints can live quite long, even untoned. When toned, they can easily last for centuries.
Some photographers choose to use papers that are coated with a resin, where the silver sits on this resin rather than being embedded within the paper. These are called “resin coated” papers, or simply RC paper. They use these papers because they are less expensive, easier to handle, require minimal washing and are much quicker to process. Although some argue otherwise, RC prints have not yet proven to be archival.
There are very few commercial processes that use fibre based papers for printing. Mass produced photographic images are almost entirely printed using RC papers. The consistency of the RC papers makes them well suited for this purpose. The natural variations associated with fibre based papers makes them relatively more difficult to work with. Making allowances for these variations, during exposure, developing and toning, is more of a skill than a science.
Each brand of fibre based papers, and there are many, has different characteristics. Every paper produces a slightly different shade, depth and tonal quality. Generally, the higher the silver content within the paper the stronger the blacks and wider the range of shades possible within the final image. Because of this I continuously experiment with different papers in order to find those which I feel deliver the qualities I’m looking for, since the papers used can change the essence of the image. One brand of paper may be well suited for bright, outdoor images while another is better for dark, foreboding images. With the final image in mind, I use different fibre based papers to print different negatives.The look and feel of a well crafted fibre-base print communicates quality and excellence. I find that, because the silver is embedded within the paper (rather than sitting above it as with an RC print) the depth of the image is enhanced. Subtle details, like shadows within areas of overcast and highlights within bright areas, are easier to see.
In my dark room I use RC paper to make test prints of each negative before I begin printing on the more expensive FB paper. I test for cropping (vertical or horizontal format), sharpness and maximum enlarging size. I also determine the filtering values I want to begin with. This is where the blacks and the whites, and the millions of shades in-between, are rendered to my liking. With this information as a starting point, I then make my first fibre base print – which makes for less waste of the more expensive FB paper. Rarely though does my first fibre based print from a new negative render the results I demand. There are always adjustments required to satisfy my artistic senses.
Fibre based prints are well suited for exhibition purposes, be it within your home or office. A fibre based print provides the outstanding qualities that one should look for in fine art – exclusivity, detail, and permanence.
