Fujicolour crystal archive life time question

sandholm · Mar 16, 2011

Hi

I thought of stocking up a bit on fujicolour paper which I have never done (but the 20x24 is soon gone...), so my question is how long can I expect fresh fujicolour crystal paper to last if I keep it frozen? I know it can be hard to predict but can I expect 1 year, 10 years, 20 years? What would be the first sign of decay?

cheers

hrst · Mar 16, 2011

Maybe something like 5 years? Possibly more. You will start noticing fogging: whites are not perfectly white anymore and they might take a color cast. If this is acceptable, I think you can count many years more.

railwayman3 · Mar 16, 2011

I'd agree with hrst, probably OK to buy 5 years worth.

I'm quite happy to keep film in the freezer for many years...I've recently used up some 20-year-outdated Kodachrome with no problems. The only difference with paper is that any problem (such as degraded whites or reduced contrast) will be difficult to correct. Whereas a slight age deterioration in film can be more easily put right at the printing (or scanning) stage.

Tom Kershaw · Mar 16, 2011

hrst said:
Maybe something like 5 years? Possibly more. You will start noticing fogging: whites are not perfectly white anymore and they might take a color cast. If this is acceptable, I think you can count many years more.

If one had the space and was so inclined a walk in cold room would certainly be possible.

Tom

perkeleellinen · Mar 16, 2011

My darkroom often feels like a walk in cold room!

sandholm · Mar 16, 2011

railwayman3 said:
I'd agree with hrst, probably OK to buy 5 years worth.

I'm quite happy to keep film in the freezer for many years...I've recently used up some 20-year-outdated Kodachrome with no problems. The only difference with paper is that any problem (such as degraded whites or reduced contrast) will be difficult to correct. Whereas a slight age deterioration in film can be more easily put right at the printing (or scanning) stage.

Thanks for the replay, this is what I feared, five years is not much and its pretty rare that I print 20x24 when it comes to color.... I can easy freeze 20x24 so I think that I will pick up some packs and see how it work out. Film and B/W I freeze and even if its old it can (usually) be used. On the other hand I dont want a color cast from the paper...

thanks
cheers

Tom Kershaw · Mar 16, 2011

sandholm said:
Thanks for the replay, this is what I feared, five years is not much and its pretty rare that I print 20x24 when it comes to color.... I can easy freeze 20x24 so I think that I will pick up some packs and see how it work out. Film and B/W I freeze and even if its old it can (usually) be used. On the other hand I dont want a color cast from the paper...

thanks
cheers

Where did you hear the 20x24 size was being discontinued?

Tom

EdSawyer · Mar 16, 2011

Usually expired RA4 paper takes on a slight color-cast in the paper base. I've used 15+ year out of date Supra II and it printed ok, had a bit more yellow to the whites of the paper base than I'd like, but it was usable. Generally the paper base seems to yellow very slightly, when out of date, after a few years. It's really only noticable on the (white) borders of the print.

-Ed

David Lyga · Mar 16, 2011

It would be very nice if there were a way to clear the light (yellow) fog that starts creeping up on color paper that is not new. True, you can still make great prints but, unlike BW paper that can be run though a quick, dilute Farmers reducer to bring back the true whites, color paper cannot achieve this. Or can it? Intuitively, I really think that there must be a way to remove, overall, a light tint of yellow with some chemistry unknown to me. If so, it would be gratifying to bring back those true, unadulterated whites.

Railwayman3 is correct when he says that the slight fog does not matter with color film: simply print though. And fog does not matter with BW film or paper because of what I just imparted about the Farmers reducer. The only achilles heel here is that darn color paper which MUST really be pristine. THAT alone is enough to envy the scanners and digital 'freaks' out there. - David Lyga

sandholm · Mar 17, 2011

Tom Kershaw said:
Where did you hear the 20x24 size was being discontinued?

Tom

Well, from a friend at the photo club here, but when I looked it up its NOT the 20x24 that is discontinued, its the 10x12 and 16x20 . So my plan of freezing 20x24 will be placed on ice

thanks for all the replay

cheers

hrst · Mar 17, 2011

David Lyga said:
It would be very nice if there were a way to clear the light (yellow) fog that starts creeping up on color paper that is not new. True, you can still make great prints but, unlike BW paper that can be run though a quick, dilute Farmers reducer to bring back the true whites, color paper cannot achieve this. Or can it? Intuitively, I really think that there must be a way to remove, overall, a light tint of yellow with some chemistry unknown to me. If so, it would be gratifying to bring back those true, unadulterated whites.

With BW paper, usually the best approach is to add some antifoggant or restrainer to developer. In fact, they normally exist there, usually as bromide, some formulas even have some benzotriazole, so you just increase the antifoggant level to lower fog. Speed goes down simultaneously.

In fact, the same principle should work with color products as well! You can try adding bromide to developer. However, I'm not so sure if it will work very well... Worth trying anyway.

And, I'd bet there are more efficient antifoggants for color papers than just bromide.

Roger Cole · Mar 19, 2011

sandholm said:
Well, from a friend at the photo club here, but when I looked it up its NOT the 20x24 that is discontinued, its the 10x12 and 16x20 . So my plan of freezing 20x24 will be placed on ice

thanks for all the replay

cheers

16x20 is being discontinued? That would be downright weird - it's a much more popular size than 20x24.

sandholm · Mar 19, 2011

Roger Cole said:
16x20 is being discontinued? That would be downright weird - it's a much more popular size than 20x24.

I gues they think that people will by 20x24 and cut it down or something, but its stated on several homepages, for example Silverprint: http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=131

"FUJICOLOUR CRYSTAL ARCHIVE SFA 4MP NEG PAPER
BACK IN STOCK (12/4/10) ON AN ONGOING BASIS - HOWEVER PLEASE NOTE THAT 10x12" & 16x20" ARE LIMITED STOCK AND WILL NOT CONTINUE (unless sanity prevails)"

cheers

Fujicolour crystal archive life time question

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