Another dumb question.

[Woolliscroft]

Can you freeze paper like you can film? I have been building stocks of things like Panalure that are vanishing here.

David.

 

[Claire Senft]

Freezing paper is a very good and proven way to extend paper's life and to maintain its contrast.

 

[Dave Miller]

The answer is yes. Maybe stating the obvious, but make sure the packet is dry first. I wrap mine up in a plastic bag before freezing. When thawing it, I take it out 24 hours before I need it, and let it attain room temperature before unwrapping.

 

[John Cook]

Yes, you can. Follow all the same procedures as for film.

However, like film, paper will continue to fog from radiation regardless of temperature. With film, you can often print through the fog. But with paper, it will show. Even the print borders will begin to look gray.

So don't go crazy trying to hoard it.

No accurate way to guess-timate useful storage time. Kodak says by expiration date or five years maximum. Keep testing it to be sure of its condition. And rotate your stash.

 

[Ole]

There is a way to guesstimate storage time...

The radiation will depend on things like altitude and local bedrock type (and lots of other things too, but those are the major factors). So if radiation is major "foggant", it can be estimated. There will be less radiation inside a freezer, unless it's also (half)full of food. Some of the natural radiation is from K40, which is a small fraction of all potassium including that in your own body. Granite gives high radiation from uranium, Thorium and Potassium; Shale varies - from a lot to very little; Loam (where the bedrock is really deep down) mostly very, very little.

Cosmic radiation increases with altitude; there is a lot more in (e.g.) Denver than in NY.

 

[Donald Qualls]

On top of that, paper is very slow compared to most films, so it picks up fog more slowsly than, say, Tri-X -- but it has less reciprocity failure than most cubic grain films as well (maybe comparable to T-grain types), which means it's more affected by long term cumulative dose.

Overall, I'd expect paper to gain less fog than most films (speed having more effect than reciprocity characteristics), but any fog is more noticeable. A little benzotriazole in the developer can help...

 

[Woolliscroft]

Thanks everyone. It sounds like I need a lead lined freezer. I have a separate freezer for photographic stuff, so at least I am not exposing my film and paper to the Strontium 90 in my food (only me and my wife).

David.

 

[David Brown]

No accurate way to guess-timate useful storage time. Kodak says by expiration date or five years maximum. Keep testing it to be sure of its condition. And rotate your stash.

How do you know the expiration date? Is there a key to the code on Kodak's paper packages? (Or Ilford's for that matter?)

I attempted to look this up on Kodak's website, but was unsuccessful.

Thanks in advance.

David
not-so-proud owner of old, fogged paper