Silver Halide Darkroom Tools & Reference
3D Studio
Enlarging & Printing

Photographic Paper

Resin-coated or fibre — the two papers behave completely differently in the tray.

5Printing & Finishing All enlargersRC and fibre traysVariable-contrast filters
Wear PPE & Ventilate Nitrile gloves Eye protection Cross-flow air Label every bottle Dispose of fixer properly
Finish stage
Photographic Paper — line drawing with key specifications
Key specifications
Base typesRC (resin-coated) · fibre (baryta)
SurfacesGloss · satin · matt · lustre
ContrastGraded 0–5, or variable contrast with filters
Common sizes8 × 10 · 11 × 14 · 16 × 20 in
RC develop time60–90 seconds
Fibre develop time2–3 minutes
RC wash2–4 minutes
Fibre wash30 minutes, or 15 with hypo clear
SafelightRed or amber only — never white, never colour paper
StorageSealed, cool, dry, away from safelight and solvents

Overview

Photographic paper is film's simpler cousin: a silver halide emulsion on a paper base, and it is only sensitive to blue and green light, which is why a red or amber safelight is safe.

The first choice is RC or fibre. Resin-coated paper has a polyethylene layer on both sides of the paper base, so it absorbs almost no chemistry: it develops in 60–90 seconds, washes in a few minutes and dries flat. Fibre paper has no resin layer, so chemistry soaks into the base: it develops in 2–3 minutes, needs a 30-minute wash and curls when it dries, but it has a depth of tone and a surface quality that RC cannot match.

The second choice is contrast. Graded papers are fixed at one contrast; variable-contrast (VC) papers change grade with a coloured filter above the lens, which is why almost everyone prints on VC.

What it does well

  • RC paper is fast to process, washes quickly and dries flat
  • Fibre paper gives deeper blacks and a richer surface
  • Variable-contrast paper gives a whole grade range from one box
  • Graded paper forces you to get the negative right
  • Warm-tone and cool-tone emulsions change the image character

Safety notes

Read before you use itPaper is not hazardous. The chemistry it goes into is. Handle paper by the edges and keep the box closed under safelight — fog is cumulative and silent.

Working notes

  • Learn on RC paper. Move to fibre when the process is automatic and the chemistry is under control.
  • Test a new paper's safelight safety with a coin test before printing anything important.
  • Fibre paper darkens as it dries. Print for the highlight and expect the shadows to deepen.
  • Store paper flat and sealed. Humidity swings cause mottling that only shows up in the print.

Compatible with

All enlargersRC and fibre traysVariable-contrast filters
Educational reference. Specifications and working figures on this page are drawn from published manufacturer documentation and are stated for a small inversion tank at 20 °C unless noted otherwise. They are starting points, not guarantees. Always confirm against the data sheet supplied with your own film, developer, paper and equipment, and follow the manufacturer's safety instructions.
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