Dark lines on color print

hsvdg · May 25, 2023

Hi,

I am doing RA-4 developing (using the Bellini kit). Recently, my prints come out with dark lines at random places. They look like the result of some liquid (because of the shape), but I cannot quite understand what exactly causes them. I attached a picture as an example. On the image, you actually see two different prints (and lines are different).

I am using processing drums for development. I ensured that they were nicely rinsed beforehand and dry before I put the paper in.

Thank you for your advice!

koraks · May 25, 2023

This is likely due to uneven wetting in the first few seconds of development. Try processing a few prints in trays; I bet the problem will be gone then.

Perhaps in drums a pre-wash might help, and otherwise it's a matter of honing your process/technique and use a little more developer so there's a generous amount of flooding of the paper at the very first stage of development.

It's great that you're doing RA4 at home; keep at it You'll iron out the kinks for sure and then you'll have loads of fun with this!

brbo · May 25, 2023

Yes, pre-wash for drum processing is basically mandatory.

Sirius Glass · May 25, 2023

Do you have a cat or a dog?

brbo · May 25, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
Do you have a cat or a dog?

What's that got to do with the Hasselblads?!

koraks · May 25, 2023

Sirius is probably thinking along the lines of stray hairs causing this. It's not that, though.

hsvdg · May 25, 2023

Thank you for your response. I can confirm two cats in the houshold...but I do not think the lines are cat hair. Perhaps a bit more of background is useful. This is my first time color (I have done BW before). I am using Bellini RA4. The first 10 images or so came out without the lines. I then started to pre-wash (to warm up the drum), then the lines started. So, I thought the pre-wash is the problem, so I stopped pre-washing...lines stayed.

I thought, perhaps the blix or developer is exhausted. I have not done so many pictures, but I probably did it the wrong way. I diluted the entire 5 litres and then poured the developed/blix back into the big bottle after usage. I wonder whether this was, perhaps, the wrong approach? That said, I do not understand why an exhausted blix/dev would cause such lines.

koraks · May 25, 2023

hsvdg said:
I do not understand why an exhausted blix/dev would cause such lines.

Neither do I.

Just to check, but the lines don't happen to be in the negatives, do they?

hsvdg · May 25, 2023

I checked that. You can also see this on the picture. It shows two different prints of the same negative. The line is different in both.

DREW WILEY · May 25, 2023

Sometimes a few drips of cross-contamination occur between steps due to residual chem clinging to the inside of the drum, its entry rim, or behind the print in there. That's why I always add a generous plain water rinse between the stop bath step and the blix step, just in case. I also use a relatively weak stop bath - maybe only 1/4% glacial acetic acid, always used one-shot of course. I never recycle or replenish anything related to drum usage. I can't imagine doing RA4 processing without a pre-rinse, prior to the developer. And I wash the final print within the drum especially well, with multiple water changes. But I have zero experience with Bellini products.

koraks · May 26, 2023

Cross contamination is a possibility, but blix contam of RA4 developer in small to modest amounts nearly always gives greenish/cyan artefacts, very specifically.

Avalancheofbricks · Aug 20, 2023

I’ve been experiencing this with the same Bellini kit sometimes. I’m using an Ilford Cibachrome-A drum and add 100ml of dev/blix per print. It’s really strange because I didn’t change up anything as far as technique and I had perfect prints before. However, I haven’t been using a stop-bath step at all. Could I just use tap water for this step? If so how much does temperate matter?

Also, I’m starting to clean out and hand-dry all drum parts in between prints, have dedicated beakers for dev/blix. This definitely helps. After the session I’m starting to clean everything with warm water and baking soda. Including the bottles that store the dev and blix.

Avalancheofbricks · Aug 20, 2023

DREW WILEY said:
I can't imagine doing RA4 processing without a pre-rinse, prior to the developer.

what do you use for pre-rinse?

koraks · Aug 20, 2023

Avalancheofbricks said:
However, I haven’t been using a stop-bath step at all. Could I just use tap water for this step? If so how much does temperate matter?

Better use dilute acetic acid (0.5% to 1% one shot would be more than enough) and it doesn't really have to be tempered.

I'm puzzled like you how a process that worked before now suddenly gives problems. Weird!

My usual advice in cases like these still holds: try a session with trays at room temperature. If the problem stays away, it's somehow drum-related.

pentaxuser · Aug 20, 2023

brbo said:
What's that got to do with the Hasselblads?!

Well I have had several cats and dogs óver many years. All quite different in personality, temperament etc but all insisted on using only Hasselblads when taking pictures of me feeding, jumping for a ball, asleep in front of the fire etc

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