Adorama Variable Grade, B/W Paper, 11x14 - 50, Matte
See all Adorama items

Adorama Variable Grade, Black and White Fiber Base Photo Enlarging Paper, 11x14", 50 Sheets, Matte Surface.

SKU: VBF111450M

This item is no longer available.

Overview
Compare
Protection
Q&A

Questions & Answers

JEFFREY R : Can this paper be signed in pencil?JEAN F : Yes, I always sign my prints in pencil.GRACE S : yes, it can!!!GENE L : Easily. I haven't used the glossy surface paper but the matte takes pencil very nicely.ALENA K : Yes, it can. However, in 2013 I had problems with difference in tone between different batches/boxes. Older paper had nice warm tone, newer - colder tone. Not sure if they fixed it or it was a onetime switch.ESTHER S : Hi Jeffrey R., I did not try writing on it using pencil.AUSTIN S : YesLESLIE M : Yes. Especially on the back, but both sides can be signed.CHARLES G : Yes, however I prefer signing my prints in penTAKAFUMI K : Yes, you can. It does not leave a very dark impression though. I use this paper to hand-color with colored pencils. The surface texture of this paper is a cross between mat and glossy. More like pearl.CHARLES U : I do believe so. Obviously being in pencil, will be prone to smudging. If you have not worked with fiber paper, I recommend you do some research.JOSEPH S : Hello Jeff, I have used a lot of Adorama's variable grade b/w fiber base paper and after fully dried signed the paper using a pencil. Joe
Michael S : Do you have any information on the suitability of this paper for Lith printing?GENE L : I did try this paper for lith printing but it did not work well at all. I was using a two part lith developer mixed with 20 parts of water and one part of "old brown".HANS VAN H : i am in a alt process class this semester, but i will not stat with lith prints for a while.GENE L : The paper is a warmtone paper and the blacks are going to be warm rather than tru black or cold (blue) black. The base is also not bright white but a warm white. I would think that if you are using it for a tru lith application where you want black blacks and white whites with little mid tones, you would not want this paper but would prefer a cold toned, white base product.LESLIE M : Hi, I have used this paper a lot and really like it. It is very similar to Kentmere--but a bit colder in tone. Unfortunately, I don't have any info on how it might work with Lith printing. Do you ever print just straight black and white in the darkroom? The paper is affordable enough that you could always use it for that if it doesn't work with Lith. Good luck!
Shopper : Why Did You Choose This?GENE L : Adorama's VC FB paper is a warm tone paper than give a good solid warm black and tones beautifully. Tones with a selenium toner it can give a deep burgundy tone to shadows which is attratctive in some subjects. It can also be sepia and selenium toned to give very interesting results for portraits and nature subjects.GENE L : Adorama's VC FB paper is a warm tone paper than give a good solid warm black and tones beautifully. Tones with a selenium toner it can give a deep burgundy tone to shadows which is attratctive in some subjects. It can also be sepia and selenium toned to give very interesting results for portraits and nature subjects.

Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2014-04-28T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Beautiful paper

Adorama's vc matte fiber 11x14 paper is my new 'go to' paper. It is heartening that Adorama has taken up the mantle of carrying on the wet darkroom tradition with this great addition. Superb tonal separation. Tones easily. The matte surface provides nice tooth for spotting. All in all just what the serious photographer who still cherishes the handcrafted nature of darkroom photography loves an economical paper that can express his or her creative vision.

JEFF S.

2014-03-24T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great paper

I prefer this paper to Ilford. Great weight, good tone, and most of all it's affordable. 11x14 paper can be pricey so using Adorama's affordable brand allows me to not fret about wasting paper as much.

JENNIFER Z.

2012-09-09T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great warm-tone paper

Paper produces consistent results with warm blacks that enhance most subjects. Tones extremely well in warm tone toners such as sepia but alaso takes selenium tones to intensive blacks and can add bronze tone to shadows. Mounts well with tape or dry mounting tissues.

GENE L.

2012-05-26T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Very nice paper!

This is a very nice paper. Has very good contrast and tones very well. It also has great dimensional stability that it does not shrink when it dries. It is a slow paper. Compared to the glossy counter-part, matte is about 2 stops slower. Also, glossy does not tone well but matte does, so this is a completely different emulsion. The surface is more of a semi-matte than matte. It takes hand-coloring very well; however. This is perfect for my needs. The paper base is pretty white. In fact, it is about as white as neutral tone paper. This paper has become my standard. Unless I have a specific reason to use something else, this is what I use.

TAKAFUMI K.

2012-02-19T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Nice Paper and affordable!

This is great for students! I am partial to matte finish and this is very affordable for fiber based paper. It performs consistently and handles well, and I've been able to achieve desired results with contrast filters.

JEAN F.

2010-11-05T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Differences, yes, but so worth the value

I'm very much an advanced photographer on a budget and so I gave Adorama's paper a shot being ~$1 per 11x14 sheet vs Ilford being ~$1.60 per 11x14 sheet. Bottom line, it is definitely comparable paper. Now there ARE differences vs Ilford's Multigrade FB. One, the paper is the slightest bit thinner. Doesn't really matter to me, just as durable. Two, it's a little faster - which could be a good thing depending on how you look at it. Three, now this is labeled as Matte finish but tbh it's more of a Semi-Matte finish. Like the first reviewer touched upon. Four, some of my photography colleagues think it drifts subtly towards a warmtone look. Not having too much experience with warmtone I can't confirm that myself. Overall though, I love it and its value is a huge plus for me. Regardless of the visual nuances, my colleagues respect the paper. The only physical characteristic, its thinness, if youre going to mount your prints, noone's going to notice anyway! Will definitely keep using Adorama's paper for the foreseeable future. Thanks. -J

JPNYC

2010-02-20T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Just like Ilford!

Oh man, I had an assignment where our professor wanted 11x14 Fiber prints and I didnt want to shell out the money for Illford 50 pack, so I thought about it and decided to go with the Adorama to see whats all the hubub about. I got matte for that special solid look, but it turned about to have a very subtle finish, almost like a 20% satin surface. It didnt bother me, but it sure wasn't pure reflection-less/flat matte compared to illfords matte. but everything else about the paper was supreme. It printed at similar times to illford's, it renders nicely and it captures the whole grey range quite well. I would totally buy this again, can not beat the price!

Kyle

About Adorama Variable Grade, B/W Paper, 11x14 - 50, Matte

FEATURED REVIEWS

Differences, yes, but so worth the value

By JPNYC

I'm very much an advanced photographer on a budget and so I gave Adorama's paper a shot being ~$1 per 11x14 sheet vs Ilford being ~$1.60 per 11x14 sheet. Bottom line, it is definitely comparable paper. Now there ARE differences vs Ilford's Multigrade FB. One, the paper is the slightest bit thinner. Doesn't really matter to me, just as durable. Two, it's a little faster - which could be a good thing depending on how you look at it. Three, now this is labeled as Matte finish but tbh it's more ...

View full Review

Just like Ilford!

By Kyle

Oh man, I had an assignment where our professor wanted 11x14 Fiber prints and I didnt want to shell out the money for Illford 50 pack, so I thought about it and decided to go with the Adorama to see whats all the hubub about. I got matte for that special solid look, but it turned about to have a very subtle finish, almost like a 20% satin surface. It didnt bother me, but it sure wasn't pure reflection-less/flat matte compared to illfords matte. but everything else about the paper was supreme....

View full Review

• Adorama VGFB Matte is a variable contrast black and white enlarging paper with a double weight fiber base. The warmtone characteristics of this paper give warm black image tones, on a warm white base. Although a high speed paper, the warm characteristics of this paper do result in it being a slightly slower speed paper in comparison to the standard Gloss Variable Grade Fiber Based product, ie enlarger exposure times will be required to be slightly longer for this Adorama VGFB Matte product when directly compared to Adorama VGFB Gloss. The use of color filters permits selection of required contrast from a range of grades similar to that of graded papers, with the advantage to the user of reduced paper stock. The warm image tone gives a high quality paper with a consistent warm image tone across the grades, exhibits good sharpness and is suitable for dish processing.
• This paper is designed for use with tungsten or tungsten halogen light sources. Other light sources may give different contrast values. Exposure of the paper isstraightforward, depending on which filter system is in use. For Ilford Multigrade filters, grades 00 to 3.5 have the same speed (ISO P 250) and grades 4 and 5 require approximately twice the exposure. For the filter settings of table B, grades 0 to 4 have the same speed (ISO P 320). Grades 00 and 5 require more exposure (ISO P 250). When no filter is used, the paper has a contrast of approximately grade 2 and a speed of ISO P 640.
• Open only in a darkroom illuminated by safelights Ilford 904 or Kodak OC containing 15W bulbs or equivalent; red safelights may also be used. The safelights should be at least one metre from the paper at all times and good working practice of keeping exposure to safelight at a minimum should be adopted. Unused paper should be returned to its original packaging for storage.

Join VIP PRO

2 Day Delivery on thousands of items!

Sell or Trade your Gear

Get started in 3 easy steps

Key Features

  • Superb full grade range performance, supports grade 0 to grade 5 contrast
  • Registered ISO 9001
  • Ultra high quality packaging and product protection
  • Outstanding batch to batch consistency
  • Neutral base color & excellent tonal rendition
  • Excellent longevity

What's in the box:

  • Technical Information Sheet