Paper Speed

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I believe that some papers are faster than others - for example, Kentmere's VC select is claimed to be about a stop faster than most.

Under some circumstances, this may be a benefit due to reduced printing times. However, might it mean that the paper has larger grain?

-- Ed Hurst (BullMoo@hotmail.com), March 07, 2002

Answers

paper speed in paper is a function of emulsion chemistry rather than grain size as in film. chloride papers (warm) are slow; bromide papers (neutral/cold) are fast.

-- r (ricardospanks1@yahoo.com), March 07, 2002.

Interesting! Are there any quality implications from having faster paper?

-- Ed Hurst (BullMoo@hotmail.com), March 07, 2002.

No.

-- r (ricardospanks1@yahoo.com), March 11, 2002.

The speed of any emulsion is directly related to the size of the silver-halide crystals in it, as well as the particular halide, or mixture of halide salts used.
The speed and make-up of Bromide paper means that to all intents and purposes, it's grainless. That is; the grain structure is so fine that it can't possibly be seen with the unaided eye.
Can anyone see the grain of a slow speed film directly from the negative, without enlargement? No? Well, even the fastest paper emulsion is about 10 times slower than the finest-grained camera film, and therefore its grain size is correspondingly smaller.

Stop worrying about non-existent problems. Any grain you can see in a print comes from the negative.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), March 11, 2002.


Thank you for your clear (if, in some cases, sardonic) advice. I shall assume it's not a problem!

-- Ed Hurst (BullMoo@hotmail.com), March 11, 2002.


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