Printing with Graded Papers rather than Variable Contrast.  I have been running down in my paper stock and so have taken to experimenting with paper I have accumulated over the years and have been just taking up space.  The top image was made on a Ilford RC paper, pearl finish grade 2 and though the scan isn't real good I found this the nicest of the bunch.  I had a whole bunch of this paper once but now I have only a few sheets left.  I don't like Resin Coated papers as much as Fiber but this was a really nice paper and the prints dry in a couple of hours and lay nice and flat without any additional need for pressing.  The next print down is a grade 2 fiber paper that I don't really like very much it has a gloss surface but the contrast is real flat.  Maybe Selenium toning would help this a bit.  The last paper was a Grade 3 Forte paper matt surface and this printed out real nice but I only had one package left of 5 sheets of it.  I have to say working with graded papers and just using one of the bulbs in th Zone VI enlarger made work go much faster all I had to do was figure out exposure rather than playing with the controls looking for the right combination to give me the correct contrast something I am still working on.  Sometimes you can get crazy with too much choice.