ILFORD MULTIGRADE RC Deluxe Glossy Darkroom Paper — 8x10 in, 25 Sheets

ILFORD MULTIGRADE RC DELUXE Glossy gives black and white photographs a smooth, polished presentation. It is a practical choice when you want the surface to reinforce the visual relationship between deep shadows and bright highlights. This pack contains 25 sheets of 8x10-inch paper for traditional darkroom printing.

Print character: smooth and reflective

Gloss is especially worth considering for images built around shape, tonal separation and areas of strong black: architecture, graphic still life, dramatic landscapes or a direct portrait. It can make those elements feel prominent, but it does not supply missing negative detail or require a high-contrast printing style.

Directional light can produce visible reflections on the smooth surface. If a photograph will be shown under lights you cannot control, compare a physical Glossy print with a lower-sheen finish before deciding. Choose the surface around the way the print will be viewed.

Neutral whites with subtle image warmth

Current fifth-generation RC DELUXE has a neutral paper base and a neutral-to-warm image tone. The first describes the unexposed paper white; the second describes the developed image. Expect a black and white print, rather than a ready-made brown or sepia treatment.

This is the current RC DELUXE family, distinct from older MULTIGRADE IV RC. If you are returning to a negative printed on the earlier paper, begin with new exposure and contrast tests. A familiar product name does not make an old printing record an exact recipe for the current version.

Build contrast in the enlarger

Compatible MULTIGRADE filters let you choose grades 00–5. You can print gently at lower grades or increase tonal separation at higher grades without changing paper stock. A suitable variable-contrast or colour enlarger head provides another means of control.

Start with a test strip through a representative part of the picture. Adjust exposure and grade deliberately, checking the important light and dark tones rather than judging only how black the deepest area becomes. ILFORD's contrast-control guide is useful when matching filtration to an enlarger.

Fast handling, with the right finishing method

The RC base simplifies wash and dry stages compared with fibre paper, making it useful for contact sheets, work prints and a finished series in the same session. Under a suitable paper safelight, expose the sheet, then develop, stop, fix and wash. It is light-sensitive silver gelatin paper, not inkjet paper.

Air-dry after removing excess water, or use equipment specifically suitable for RC prints. Do not ferrotype it or use a heated glazing plate to increase shine; the polyethylene coating can stick. Follow the manufacturer's RC processing instructions for your chemistry and equipment.

How to choose within the range

Try Pearl for a subtler pearlescent surface, or Satin for a smooth finish with less sheen. Consider FB CLASSIC Glossy when the traditional fibre-paper feel matters enough to allow a more involved wash and flattening workflow.

Specifications

• 25 sheets; 8x10 in / 20.3x25.4 cm
• Resin-coated paper; 190gsm base weight
• Glossy surface, code 1M
• Neutral base; neutral-to-warm image tone
• Variable-contrast black and white silver gelatin paper