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Photographic paper is one of the more confusing aspects of starting out in photography. A trip to the story reveals many different brands and different surfaces and contrasts. So what works best.
At Santa Cruz High School our darkroom is less than state of the art. Our enlargers are over 20 years old and the darkrooms are made from old storage rooms. The result is there is always a problem with print contrast and dirt. This is what we have found works well under these less than ideal conditions.
Ilfospeed Contrast #3 single weight or medium weight resin coated glossy paper.
Ilfospeed is a fast photo paper which allows for short exposure times. The brand name, Ilford, is not an important part of starting to work in the darkroom. Kodak, OrientalLuminor, Agfa are also brand names that make a fast paper. This paper is a cOLD TONE paper which means it is bluish in tinting compared to a warm tone paper that is brownish in tint.
Contrast #3 represents the contrast or grade of the paper. Paper comes in contrast grades numbered from 1 to 6. A one paper is very low in contrast and is used with negatives that are very contrasty. A number 6 paper will create a very contrasty photo from a normal negative and is used when negatives were under developed which usually results in lower contrast or when the lighting of the subject was low contrast.
  
Some photographers like to use POLYCONTRAST or multigrade papers because one package of paper can be any contrast from 1 to 6. The contrast is changed by using a colored filter in the enlarger. As the color of the filter changes the contrast grade changes. This allows a photographer to change contrast in just PART of a photo by using dodging and burning with a filter. With NO filter in the enlarger the contrast is said to be the same as a number 3 graded paper which is considered normal. However, in our experience at SCHS we find the richness of the shadows is not as good as with a graded paper unless you actually use a filter. Because the filters are an added expense and easily scratched we do not recommend Polycontrast or multigrade paper for our students.
Resin Coated is a plastic coating that is put on the paper base. This keeps the paper from soaking up chemicals and allows less time in the final wash and rinse of the prints which is valuable for a short 90 minute class period like ours. Fiber based papers will take hand coloring and spotting better than resin
Glossy or Pearl finish (matt or semi-matte) is the surface finish. Glossy is shinny and brilliant and prefered by most photojournalists. We think it makes a nicer, sharper looking image, but it is a matter of taste.
Single or Medium or Double weight has to do with the thickness of the paper. We recommend single weight because it is lower in cost. If you will handle your prints a lot or if you want to color them or treat them the thicker medium weight is a better choice but it will cost 10% or so more.
Paper comes in standard sizes of 5x7, 8x10, 11x14 and 16x20. For obvious reasons we work only with 5x7 or 8x10 paper. For SCHS students the standard size for projects is 4x5 inches and the size for critique shots turned in for display is 5x7. Here is how to cut the paper - of course you cut it ONLY under a safelight, which for us is red.
When you cut the paper we suggest you cut only two sheets of 8x10 at a time. Take the paper out of the inner bag and place it face down on the cutter which should have been marked with a white pen or masking tape for the 4 and 5 inch marks. Cut the 5 inch cut first on the 10 inch side (the long side). Place the two pieces together and cut the 4 inch cut again on the long side which is now the 8 inch side of the original piece of paper.
Take one of the 4x5 pieces and cut into 1 inch wide strips to give you 4 test strips to use for getting exposure.
Place the paper back into the inner bag and place that bag with the FLAP side facing into the bag. DO NOT let paper stay out on the conter top for long because it can get exposed to stray light from another enlarger in the lab.
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