A replacement for Azo. A new silver chloride paper.

We are having a new silver chloride made. Everything is in place to go forward. We have testing hand-coated samples, and they meet our standards.

The next step in the process is to have a test run made on the coating machines. This is currently underway.

Once we approve the test run, it will take a month to have the final run completed.

We cannot place our order until we have the money to pay for it. To pay to have this paper made we need the community of photographers that use Azo and who want to continue having a silver chloride paper available to step up and place an advance order for the paper. We are now taking orders.

We will have Grade 2 and Grade 3 paper. If there is sufficient demand, we will try to have other grades made in subsequent runs.

The paper will be single weight. The only other alternative was triple weight—but the consensus is that most prefer single weight (as we do) and we will are having the paper made that way.

For those who place orders in advance, the new paper will be priced the same as Azo, with just one exception—a reduction in price: Grade 3 in 100-sheet packages will be priced the same as Grade 2 in 100-sheet packages: $84.95. With this new paper there will no longer be a premium price for Grade 3 in 100-sheet quantities.

Grade 2 and 3 in 500-sheet packages will stay at $322.95

20x24 in 50-sheet packages will stay at $229.95

We will also have the following sizes:

11x14: It will come in 100-sheet packages and will sell for $184.95.
8x20: It will come in 150-sheet packages and will sell for $229.95
Rolls are also available.

If there is sufficient demand, we will make paper in other sizes.

Advance orders: We are now taking orders. No checks will be deposited nor will credit cards be charged until the paper is made and we need to pay for it. (If at all possible we prefer checks for this rather than credit cards—the credit card fees we will have to pay means that much less to pay the paper supplier.) These funds will not be used for any purpose other than to buy a new silver chloride paper. If, for some reason, there are problems and the paper is not made, 100% of all monies received will be returned. Send checks only for the cost of the paper. When we are ready to ship the paper we will ask you for another check or for a credit card number to cover shipping and handling. 

A staggering amount of money, hundreds of thousands of dollars, is needed to have this paper made. So that we can have this paper manufactured we are asking you to place orders at this time. It is only by a combination of advance orders, and through sales of a special “Azo Portfolio” of our original prints that we will be able to purchase this paper. For those who order at this time we will keep the price of the paper the same as it has been for the last several years. We cannot guarantee that price after the paper arrives here.

The “Azo Portfolio” consists of ten photographs. Paula and I have selected five photographs from each of us that today have a combined retail value of $28,000. In order to encourage sales at this time, we are offering this portfolio for only $10,750. The photographs may be seen on our web site on our home page: www.michaelandpaula.com.

For orders of $5,000 worth of paper we are offering the purchaser their choice of any of Paula’s print from the Azo Portfolio. For orders of $10,000 we are offering the purchaser their choice of any of Paula’s print and any of Michael’s from the Azo Portfolio. And so on. Place an order for $50,000 worth of paper and you will also receive the entire Azo Portfolio.

We have already put up a large sum of our own money to have the paper made. But we need more pre-orders to insure that we can pay for the paper when it is finished.

Please place your order as soon as possible. The sooner we have your commitment and money in hand the sooner we will all have a replacement paper for the discontinued Azo.

We have now named this new paper.

Lodima Fine Art

Silver Chloride Photographic Paper

We have chosen this name because it is one that stands for quality. Our publishing company, Lodima Press, has always been “dedicated to publishing photography books of exceptional quality.” In that spirit and tradition we are using this name to stand for another fine new product, a photographic paper of exceptional quality. Additionally, Amidol is the developing agent that is the best match for this new silver chloride paper, yielding the fullest range of tones possible in the paper—and Lodima is Amidol spelled backwards.