Removing Gloss From RC Paper

Hello everyone. I have a project in mind but I need some advice. I have a lot of Resin Coated Glossy wet print paper. Is it possible to convert it into a 'Matte' finish by some chemical means? I do not want to use an abrasive paper on it.

 

Thank you.

Krylon matte spray will work. Another trick, (can't remember if I used it with RC or just glossy fiber based) is to put the emulsion side toward the cloth on a ferrotype print dryer.

Thank you for that Sandy. I have just ordered an aerosol of it to try.

just buy a box of matt rc. everything else will make your project presentation look bad.

Iron matte cellophane on it? - There is dedicated laminating machinery for that or you could have it done by some print finishing company.

RC 'paper' is mostly plastic, and the final surface is produced by the original manufacturing process. With glossy FB paper, you can choose between a high gloss finish (by ferrotyping), or a soft gloss (by air drying). But the options with RC paper are very limited.

 

As Sandy said, one option is to spray some kind of overcoat on the finished print. Krylon is one option. My experience with sprays has not been happy - the results have been splotchy and inconsistent.

 

There is another technique that you may find in some very old Kodak darkroom publications. Most RC papers consist of two layers of plastic with a core of paper. It is theoretically possible to separate those layers, and then bond the front layer (with the image) to a substrate to creates a different surface texture. Basically, you have to carefully separate the layers by splitting that internal paper core - Kodak's suggestion was to start the separation process at a corner, and then carefully roll the front surface onto a dowel so that the separation stress is applied uniformly across the print. Frankly, that strikes me as a process with an inherently high failure rate. And the process of bonding that very thin front surface to a substrate means using a heat press - which presents an entirely different set of issues with plastic materials.

 

So based on my experience, I suspect that if you need a matte surface, you should buy matte surface paper.

There is another technique that you may find in some very old Kodak darkroom publications

Very interesting, thanks! In the final analysis, the economy of trying to use the current paper supply for a project where texture is needed is probably a false one - as paul ron suggested new proper paper is in order. The Krylon is generally workable once you develop proper consistent technique. The caveat is that occasionally spray cans throw a blob, which can ruin a print - i have tried various repairs of blobs with no success. . Better pro type sprayers will produce better results, but at a cost. If you decide on paper,it might be worth your time to look at Red River.

There are not as many papers available as there used to be, and the one that there are, are more expensive.

 

I suspect that it isn't long before we will be printing our black and white prints on color paper.