Kentmere VC Select Glossy Darkroom Paper — 8x10 in, 25 Sheets

Kentmere VC Select Glossy is a useful starting point when you want to explore the negative through printing: make a contact sheet, compare contrast choices, then work towards a finished enlargement. This pack contains 25 sheets of 8x10-inch black and white, variable-contrast resin-coated paper.

Print character: bright whites and a cooler image

The bright white base and cool-to-neutral image tone give this paper a different starting character from ILFORD MULTIGRADE RC DELUXE. Base tint describes the paper white; image tone describes the colour of the developed silver image. Keeping those separate helps you choose between a cooler monochrome presentation and the subtle warmth available elsewhere in the range.

The glossy surface is smooth and reflective. Its built-in glaze supports strong-looking blacks and a clear separation between dark and light areas. Consider it for architecture, street photographs or graphic compositions when that polished presentation supports the picture. For portraits or quiet landscapes, it remains an option if you prefer gloss over a subdued surface.

A practical paper for making decisions

VC Select makes sense for contact sheets, printing exercises and finished photographs within the same paper family. Using one stock while learning lets you focus on exposure, filtration, cropping and local adjustments. Its role is broader than practice alone; choose it because its tone and finish suit the result you want.

Contrast is adjustable

Compatible ILFORD MULTIGRADE filters provide grades 00–5, with lower grades producing gentler tonal separation and higher grades a harder result. A suitable colour enlarger head is another route. These are contrast choices, not changes in gloss or focus.

Use a test strip that includes important light and dark areas. Recheck exposure when changing paper or filtration rather than transferring a previous recipe unchanged. The manufacturer's VC Select technical sheet includes enlarger filtration guidance and processing recommendations.

Working with the RC base

The polyethylene-coated construction keeps the paper core from becoming saturated during normal processing, simplifying washing and drying compared with fibre paper. Open it only under a suitable black and white paper safelight, such as an ILFORD 902 setup. Expose in the enlarger, then use paper developer, stop bath, fixer and the specified wash. This is light-sensitive darkroom paper, not inkjet media.

Handle sheets by the edges and air-dry after washing. Keep unused paper in its original lightproof bag and outer packaging in a cool, dry place. The RC processing guide covers finishing; use the instructions for your actual chemistry.

How to choose within the range

Compare ILFORD RC DELUXE Glossy if you want the current ILFORD paper's neutral-to-warm image character. Consider RC DELUXE Satin when a smooth, lower-sheen presentation matters more than gloss. These are useful visual and workflow choices; brand or price alone does not determine which print you will prefer.

Specifications

• 25 sheets; 8x10 in / 20.3x25.4 cm
• Resin-coated base; manufacturer-listed 190gsm paper stock
• Glossy surface; bright white base; cool-to-neutral image tone
• Variable-contrast black and white silver gelatin paper