C-Types are the ultimate professional photographic print available today and are the only option for continuous tone colour printing from a digital file or film original. They capture nuanced detail no other print process can deliver and boast superb archival longevity from their silver halide formula, whether the image is colour or black and white. As the image has been exposed into the photographic emulsion, C-Types deliver images with a depth to them missing from ink based prints.
Our Professional C-Type paper choices.
The most comprehensive in the UK.
Fujicolor Professional MATTE
Fujifilm’s range topping Type DPII paper is probably the best all round C-type silver halide paper ever made, and in MATTE surface it’s certainly the most versatile. Almost any photograph works on this paper and it’s by far the safest choice if you have any uncertainty over which paper to choose. A very safe choice.
The surface is not a dead matte, rather there is some surface sheen, but it’s not intrusive. There is an extremely light stipple to the surface, but it’s essentially very smooth.
Fujicolor Professional GLOSS
Fujifilm’s range topping Type DPII paper is probably the best all round C-Type silver halide print media ever made. GLOSS surface delivers some additional contrast over matte. This is a high gloss finish with ever such a slight suggestion of some texture. But the surface is dead smooth. This is a paper that excels in delivering punchy, contrasty, images and will be very suitable for those photographs that benefit from this.
Image © Ed Moss www.edwardmoss.co.uk
Fujicolor Professional SILK
We believe we’re the only lab in the UK offering this surface. From Fuji’s range topping Type DPII paper, this surface is unique to C-Type prints and unmatched by any other print media.
SILK used to be very popular in the 1970’s, and it lends a retro feel to smaller prints, especially 6×4” or smaller. However, in larger prints it delivers a modern, contemporary, feel and helps your images really standout from the crowd. It features a micro-dimpled surface that is also extremely hard wearing, ideal where prints may be handled a lot as it’s almost impossible to leave a finger print on it. As an added bonus, it scans very poorly, which is useful for photographers looking to help protect against copyright infringement.
Image © www.brightstarsphotography.co.uk
Fujicolor Professional Type H VELVET
A recent addition to the Fuji range, VELVET offers a dead matte surface. This is a totally unique C-Type paper that gives the look of a fine art matte giclee print, but with all the benefits of a C-Type. This is perfect for delicate images with fine detail and low contrast. It also has an extremely hard wearing surface and resists marking, scratching, fingerprints and handles extremely well (the exact opposite of a matte fine art giclee print!)
Fujicolor Professional Type H CANVAS
As with Velvet, another unique C-Type paper. Aimed at those who want a canvas texture, but in a genuine photographic C-Type. It features a flat matte surface like Velvet, but with the look of a canvas that has been imprinted into the paper – a low relief canvas texture.
Fujicolor Professional FUJIFLEX
Fujiflex is a totally unique print media. Its base is polyester and its surface ultra high gloss and as smooth as glass. For anyone who remembers Cibachrome, this is the closest available alternative today and it suits punchy, contrasty images that deserve the very best display.
Kodak Endura Premier METALLIC
Metallic is the one C-Type print media that has been repeatedly mimicked, but never matched. Inkjet manufacturers have tried to emulate it’s look, and consistently failed. This is a paper with an unusual silvery base tint and a high gloss surface. It benefits the right image immeasurably. But we would say, with the wrong image, it can add very little. Strong contrasty images, industrial images, high fashion can often work well. Highlights don’t seem to hold up well, so we advise people to avoid printing images with lots of subtle highlight detail – eg. Clouds in a landscape can be a problem.
Image © www.wildarena.com
Fujicolor Professional PEARL
Fujifilm’s answer to Kodak metallic. Very similar, but more subtle and generally regarded, unfairly, as inferior. However, we like printing on this paper and it lends a new dimension to many images. As with Kodak metallic, it features a high gloss surface and an unusual base tint. More competitively priced than Metallic.
Kodak Endura Premier MATTE or GLOSS
Kodak’s answer to Fuji professional. Endura is renowned for it’s warmer base when compared to Fuji DPII, which has bright white base. This suits some people. As we don’t routinely offer Endura, there may be a minimum order quantity, please contact us for more information.