Defective Paper?

I got a box of 100 sheets of 8x10 fiber based black and white paper. The box showed no signs of bad handling. All prints made using this paper consistently show a very thin black band on one of the eight inch sides. The density of the band is uniform along its length. Prints made using different developers show the band. I developed and processed an unexposed sheet straight from the box. It shows the band. This to me rules out any kind of light leak in the darkroom being the cause of the density on the prints. I removed a sheet from the box and exposed the sheet to household light for hours. That sheet DOES NOT show the band. Sheets from both the top and bottom of the stack of paper show the band. That makes it likely all the sheets are similarly affected. Somehow the sheets have received exposure. But how? Is this paper defective?

Was the box open when you got it? Apparently someone had a peek into the black bag the paper was in with the lights on.

If you bought the box new, I'd return it.
Otherwise, if there is no fog in the center it will be ideal for enlarging 6x6 negs.

glbeas said:

Was the box open when you got it? Apparently someone had a peek into the black bag the paper was in with the lights on.

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No, the box was sealed.

Photographic paper is shipped in rolls, and sometimes cut to size at a place closer to the retailer. If such a handler opens the package with the roll in daylight (followed by an NSFW curse when realizing what happened), one edge will be exposed. I have seen this happen, it's a handling defect which should warrant a price reduction or product return. Call the retailer and see what they come up with.

glbeas said:

Was the box open when you got it? Apparently someone had a peek into the black bag the paper was in with the lights on.

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Peeking into the bag would only give such sharply edged fogging if a single sheet was sticking out of the stack. In this case all sheets have such stripe. Fogging a tight stack intensively enough to be of effect off the edge would result into a fall-off of density, not a sharp edge.
Well, I admit I did not check such...

Sounds like the paper is defective. Return it where you bought it or contact the maker and they will replace it for you.

I had a similar problem with several boxes of AGFA paper a long time ago. The seller wouldn't replace it so I contacted AGFA and they gladly took it back n replaced it at no charge, shipping was included as well.

BTW what brand and perhaps a lot number to see if anyone else has this problem?

paul ron said:

Sounds like the paper is defective. Return it where you bought it or contact the maker and they will replace it for you.

I had a similar problem with several boxes of AGFA paper a long time ago. The seller wouldn't replace it so I contacted AGFA and they gladly took it back n replaced it at no charge, shipping was included as well.

BTW what brand and perhaps a lot number to see if anyone else has this problem?

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It is Ilford MGFB Warmtone, lot number 40B602C43.

Bought where?

Rudeofus said:

Photographic paper is shipped in rolls, and sometimes cut to size at a place closer to the retailer. If such a handler opens the package with the roll in daylight (followed by an NSFW curse when realizing what happened), one edge will be exposed. I have seen this happen, it's a handling defect which should warrant a price reduction or product return. Call the retailer and see what they come up with.

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Yep, in the trade it's called "edge fog;" I've seen probably hundreds of rolls like that. If someone has a roll of paper out of the "dark bag" and sitting on a countertop, then accidentally turns on the light, the top side will be exposed resulting in a narrow band of heavy fog. (The outer half dozen wraps will also be fogged, but one can just throw that away - the edge fog goes through the entire roll.) Ten inch-wide rolls are pretty common, so if a fogged roll is later cut to 8x10" sheets then the 8" side would have the fog. Your retailer probably won't be surprised; they likely have another half-dozen boxes of the edge-fogged paper, and may have already replaced some.

AgX said:

fogging a tight stack intensively enough to be of effect off the edge would result into a fall-off of density, not a sharp edge.
Well, I admit I did not check such...

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No, the reality is that it produces a fairly abrupt edge; not "crisp," but fairly abrupt. The width of the fog band varies with exposure, but under "normal" accidental conditions it never gets very wide - less than perhaps a quarter inch or so.

Thank you for the hint on the "fairly abrupt edge", so I stand corrected.
As said that is not something one eagerly would test. Though I could have cut and stapled a miniature stack.

ypkennedy said:

It is Ilford MGFB Warmtone, lot number 40B602C43.

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first contact the seller... then if they wont replace it, contact illford. there is an illford rep right here on this site... ask him what they can do for you.


edit... at the top of this thread is an illford tech rep..... pm him?

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/potential-disruption-to-product-supply-in-the-us.153490/

Wayne said:

Bought where?

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Freestyle. And Freestyle has graciously replaced the defective paper at no charge.