• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Explanation sought :strange paper fog

Recent Classifieds

Forum statistics

Threads
201,727
Messages
2,829,163
Members
100,916
Latest member
mikenickmann99
Recent bookmarks
0

Smudger

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Aug 9, 2004
Messages
303
Location
Dunedin,New Zealand
Format
Multi Format
I recently acquired,for a very low price,a quantity of Stirling RC VC paper.
This is old stuff,as Stirling have been out of production for years,but,as I had right of return,it was worth the punt.
Surprise the First : good D-max and clean whites.
Surprise the Second :returning to the darkroom the next day to continue, I encountered terrible fogging.
I was using Dektol 1:2,which I had stored overnight in a sealed container,topped off with some fresh stock.
Processing some unexposed paper confirmed the fogging.
As a last resort,I mixed a new working solution of Dektol,although the pre-used stuff still had plenty of activity, and the resulting prints were just fine.
Can anyone explain why the paper is so sensitive to the freshness of the developer?
-FWIW, the paper is the incorporated developer type.
The only thing I can think of is increased levels of Bromine?/Bromide? in the pre-used developer.
 

Kirk Keyes

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jun 17, 2004
Messages
3,234
Location
Portland, OR
Format
4x5 Format
Perhaps you accidentally got some fixer into the Dektol bottle and it's causing fogging.
 

fschifano

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
May 12, 2003
Messages
3,196
Location
Valley Strea
Format
Multi Format
Maybe it's not. Maybe something else is going on here. I don't think it's the bromide. That would act as a restrainer, if anything.

Could it be something else that you've overlooked? I managed to fog some fresh paper in fresh, very warm (95F) Dektol once. I was scratching my head over the problem until I realized that the developer was very hot, around 95 deg. F. Once it cooled down, the problem went away.
 
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom