Paperchase

There are several factors to consider when it comes to choosing paper for printing. Mike Crawford explains all you need to know

Mike Crawford explains all you need to know when it comes to choosing paper for printing your images

When writing about black & white photographic papers currently available, there is often mention made of all the materials that have been discontinued over the years. While it would be fascinating to look back at the history of such papers, it is probably more constructive to feature and celebrate what we print with today. Given the dominance of digital, it is reassuring that there are still a wide variety of papers being produced.

I’ve concentrated on what is available in the UK, or at least what can easily be ordered from suppliers within Europe; namely Adox, Foma and Ilford products. While I have endeavoured to be as comprehensive as possible, I appreciate that there are some brands not covered such as Oriental Seagull and Slavich that currently have no distribution to the UK.

A brief history

Photographic materials have been produced commercially since the 1850s, and gelatin bromide papers, the forerunners to today’s silver gelatin papers, were first made in 1874. The 20th century saw a huge growth in production offered by mechanisation, but also the rise of the global photographic market for both professional and amateur photographers. Companies such as Kodak, Agfa and Ilford