I've been using AZO to make contact prints with great results. It's a simple process using a 120w bulb. I'm interested in trying Bergger Silver Supreme Fine Art Paper. Anyone with experence in contact printing and these papers, I would appreciate you thoughts.

-- tim kimbler (gandy@gte.net), December 19, 2001

Answers

Silver supreme is an "alternate style" paper coated on a thick base and it in some ways resembles the look of a platinum print with its flat matt surface. It is a slightly slow enlarging speed. Switch that 120w bulb to something like a 15w and you should be in business. Contrast is more or less grade two and can be modified with different developers and dilutions or water-baths. Standard enlarging papers including variable contrast can also be contact printed with a low wattage lamp and VC filters meant for an enlarge

-- Carl Weese (cweese@earthlink.net), December 19, 2001.

Greetings,

In addition to what Carl said... Visually, the paper does not respond to selenium, but produces a very pleasing look in a brown toner. I wasn't very impressed with the straight B&W images, but the brown toned images were nice, sort of resembling a platinum print.

I've used it as both an enlarging and contact paper, always using my enlarger as the light source. Your 120W bulb would be quite bright for this paper, unless it's very far away. As Carl suggested, I would reduce the wattage to get acceptable printing times.

Good luck, it's a unique paper.

Regards,

-- Pete Caluori (pcaluori@hotmail.com), December 19, 2001.

Tim: I haven't been doing much enlarging for awhile, but when I do, I use Silver Supreme. This is for portraits and still lifes, mostly portraits. It's excellent paper. I don't know a better enlarging paper. Practice tips: Use a highly dilute developer, such as Neutol WA (1:11) or a very dilute amidol. These give a lovely cool tone on SS. Develop all the way out, 4 or 5 minutes, even longer. Stop agitating after 30"-45"; just let the print sit (if the paper curls out of the developer, squoosh it back down or something).... -jb

-- Jeff Buckels (jeffbuck@swcp.com), December 20, 2001.

Hi Tim, Bergger silver supreme FAP is a great paper, i'm enlarging on it since two years; Depending on your enlarger light type, it's grade two or three. You can modulate the grade by two-bath developing,I use Tetenal CentrabromS(first) and Eukobrom(second). Regards Daniel Luu Van Lang

-- Daniel Luu Van Lang (daniel.luu@worldonline.fr), December 25, 2001.