dark swirls on prints out of developer

thedeuk · Jul 21, 2011

help. i'm getting dark swirls on my prints out of the developer. i notice them as soon as i can turn the light on to see them in the fix. i'm using dektol with clayton odorless fix, no stop bath. i wasn't getting them at first but now am. could i be that i didn't scrub the bottom of the developer tray the last couple times? even though they're being processed image up? if so should i scrub the bottom of the fix tray too? the swirls are long and look as stripy. they look like water lines.

Valerie · Jul 21, 2011

Are you agitating the tray sufficiently? I notice something similar to your description with my students' prints when they do not rock the tray enough.

thedeuk · Jul 21, 2011

constant agitation and it's happening.

trexx · Jul 21, 2011

No stop is your issue I think. While I do not use a acid stop I do flush with running water. Developer carry over affecting the fix.

thedeuk · Jul 21, 2011

mr lowell from clayton assured me that was ok to do.

trexx · Jul 21, 2011

thedeuk said:
mr lowell from clayton assured me that was ok to do.

OK, But one test is worth a thousand opinions.

Bob-D659 · Jul 21, 2011

How long is your print in the developer? Pulling it early means there is a lot of developer activity going on and water isn't going to stop it. Leave your print in the dev for 90 seconds.

thedeuk · Jul 21, 2011

at least 3 minutes. including drip definitely 4 minutes. so frustrating when the final prints get screwed up.

Thomas Bertilsson · Jul 21, 2011

thedeuk said:
at least 3 minutes. including drip definitely 4 minutes. so frustrating when the final prints get screwed up.

Just try an acid stop bath. You might be surprised.

tkamiya · Jul 21, 2011

I use Dektol and never seen such a thing.

What kind of paper do you use? Brand and type? FB or RC? What dilution of Dektol? Are you making sure the entire surface of the paper is covered with Dektol at all times? Paper do float and especially RC paper has a tendency to repel liquid off the surface if you aren't careful. How fresh is your developer?

Bob-D659 · Jul 22, 2011

A long drip time could be the problem, I've been using the following all evening with Ilford MGIV 8x10 glossy, 90 sec face down in Dektol 1:2 at 68-70F, inc a 5-10 sec drip time, 30 sec in a 1/2% stopbath and then into the fixer. Works perfectly.

Edit: Forgot to add: Constant agitation in the dev.

thedeuk · Jul 22, 2011

I've never had long develop times in the past
cause this but I'll
give it a shot

2F/2F · Jul 22, 2011

I think an example for us would help a lot. Do you have a digital camera you can use to shoot one of the messed up prints?

Bob Carnie · Jul 22, 2011

You are letting the print drip for one minute before going into the stop bath?????

Yikes

thedeuk said:
at least 3 minutes. including drip definitely 4 minutes. so frustrating when the final prints get screwed up.

Ian C · Jul 22, 2011

Dark swirls on prints is called mottling. It happens particularly on fiber based prints that are developed for too short a time or poorly agitated or in the wrong developer.

Its quite common with RC or FB paper when prints are mistakenly placed into film developer instead of the proper paper developer. It might also happen if the developer was accidently contaminated with something that doesnt belong.

RC paper needs 60 seconds or longer for proper development in standard print developers such as Kodak Dektol or Ilford Multigrade Developer.

FB paper needs 2-3 minutes in standard developers. The makers claim it can be as short as 1.5 minutes but this can give problems.

Papers developed in warmtone developers, such as Ilfords Harman Warmtone Developer need about twice the developing time of standard developers, and of course, proper agitation is important to prevent mottling.

See item #6 here

http://www.subclub.org/darkroom/henry2.htm

ann · Jul 22, 2011

Saying it is ok, does not mean it is the best way.

Yes , one can use water for a stop bath, but it should be running. And unless the ph of the fixer requires only water, experince and testing has shown a stop bath is a more successful way to stop development.

Rick A · Jul 22, 2011

thedeuk said:
help. i'm getting dark swirls on my prints out of the developer. i notice them as soon as i can turn the light on to see them in the fix. i'm using dektol with clayton odorless fix, no stop bath. i wasn't getting them at first but now am. could i be that i didn't scrub the bottom of the developer tray the last couple times? even though they're being processed image up? if so should i scrub the bottom of the fix tray too? the swirls are long and look as stripy. they look like water lines.

You are getting swirles because you aren't stopping development prior to fixing. Even if you are dipping into a tray of water you can get swirles. The water must be running to carry away any developer remaining on the print. If you are just using a tray of water the developer builds up in it and the image is still developing. Fom your post, I get the impression you are going straight from developer to fix, big no no, the developer is still active even after one minute of draining. Stop bath is cheap, use it. Your fixer will last longer, and you will eliminate swirles.

Ronald Moravec · Jul 22, 2011

Prints should be slipped into developer emulsion up, narrow edge leading. Do not float and push down.

Agitate enough. Continuous works well.

If you float emulsion down, I could see how you get what you do.

Gerald C Koch · Jul 22, 2011

You really need an acid stop bath for FB papers because developer is absorbed into the base. A water rinse is fine for film and RC papers.

ic-racer · Jul 22, 2011

thedeuk said:
no stop bath.

If that was an experiment to see what happens, I think you have an answer.

Neal · Jul 22, 2011

Dear thedeuk,

Years ago I had a problem that sounds similar. I was agitating with print tongs and not paying attention to what I was doing. The tongs were running across the surface of the paper causing the marks.

Good luck with the resolution of your problem,

Neal Wydra

thedeuk · Jul 22, 2011

thanks for all your replys. they're not tong marks. definitely something to
do with chemicals because they look like water lines. I was using stop bath until lowell told me not too because the clayton odorless fix is a stop bath too. since I was using clayton stop bath I listened to him. plus he actually knows what's happening in the chemicals. I just follow directions. I'll try going back to a stop bath though.

Rick A · Jul 22, 2011

I know that Clayton offers odorless stop and odorless fix, but am unaware that the fixer incorporates stop in it.

Bob-D659 · Jul 22, 2011

What paper are you using?

Bob-D659 · Jul 22, 2011

Hmmm, seems to be a typical ammonium thiosulfate, sodium bisulfite fixer with a ph of 5.2. Not very acidic compared to a fresh acetic acid stop bath.

Is your fixer almost exhausted?

dark swirls on prints out of developer

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency