Fogged Photo Paper? Hey, It Doesn't Look All That Bad ? ! ? !

DF · May 20, 2014

'Opened, an old unopened box of Ilford "Rapid" paper, and to my dismay, after development, could tell something was wrong. It was old and became "fogged", but, as I looked over the entire print, didn't seem so bad. The edges which are usually white, were grayish silver, and the print itself, being a nightshot of the entrance to the Wrigly Building in Chicago, different as it was, seemed acceptable. Does anyone save and use fogged paper?

drpsilver · May 20, 2014

20 May 2014

DF:

I have been using some very old paper for some time for "work prints" and have noticed fogging. The best way to salvage a fogged paper, as long as it is not to fogged, is to add 15ml/L of 0.2% benzothiazole (BZT). Process a print without any BZT as a reference, then add BZT to the developer and make another print and compare. Repeat this process until you see a change in the degree of fogging. This will not eliminate fogging, but will reduce the amount of fogging. Steve Anchell's book "The Darkroom Cookbook" has a little section on this process.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Darwin

JW PHOTO · May 20, 2014

drpsilver said:
20 May 2014

DF:

I have been using some very old paper for some time for "work prints" and have noticed fogging. The best way to salvage a fogged paper, as long as it is not to fogged, is to add 15ml/L of 0.2% benzothiazole (BZT). Process a print without any BZT as a reference, then add BZT to the developer and make another print and compare. Repeat this process until you see a change in the degree of fogging. This will not eliminate fogging, but will reduce the amount of fogging. Steve Anchell's book "The Darkroom Cookbook" has a little section on this process.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Darwin

I've done the same by adding Potassium Bromide. You'll get to a point where enough is enough and more won't make any difference. Your print might end up a little warm, but I like a warmer look for some things anyway. JW

DF · May 21, 2014

'Not interested in improving the fogged paper by way of chemistry, but just continuing to use it as it is. Like I asked, anyone do this? Seems like such a waste to throw out.

Molli · May 22, 2014

I have some perfectly evenly fogged Kodak Bromide Star paper which expired in August of 1946. I never got around to "rescue attempts" and simply use it as is:

Fogged Photo Paper? Hey, It Doesn't Look All That Bad ? ! ? !

DF

drpsilver

JW PHOTO

DF

Molli

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