Digital BW, The Print

Is the fiber paper used made specially for exposure to digital enlargers?

Mark
http://www.stillrivereditions.com

On Apr 23, 2013, at 8:35 AM, Mark wrote:

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> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Paul Roark <roark.paul@...> wrote:
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>> What are the differences between the Fiber Based samples.  There appear to
>> be 2 un-toned and 2 selenium toned samples.
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> When I received the prints from the lab, I was somewhat surprised at the dmax of the fiber-based prints. L* min measured approximately 10.0. which is less then 2.0 in density units. Iflord claims up to 2.3 in density for the digital FB Gallerie  paper.  In subsequent discussions with the lab owner, he offered to produce another set of prints on a new batch of paper that had just been received. He sent me new samples of the untoned fiber and the selenium toned fiber. They were made about 10 days after the first ones, and Dmax did go up a little (i.e, L* min went down about 1 more point). I concluded that the maximum density of these replicates was comparable and probably a function of the Durst 51 digital enlarger exposure range if indeed the paper is capable of higher max black as Ilford claims. Anyway, I decided to include both sample sets in test as replicates. 
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> Variability is a little higher on the lower CDR scores for the replicates than I usually get with inkjet media, but it's understandable.  I attribute the slightly bigger variation in test to the fact that all the samples get toned and washed by hand in trays at this photo lab in order to give customers "archival" processing.  It's a well known fact that extended washing can leach additional OBA content from wet process papers that contain OBA, and most darkroom workers I know (myself included) don't pay strict attention to that final wash time. As long as it exceeds a certain amount it is considered good enough archival processing practice.
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