Help, Black thin lines in enlarging paper.

Emilro · Jan 20, 2025

Hello guys, I have a question about a problem that I have recently experienced in my last developing session, it turns out that a thin dense black line has appeared on the paper that is not visible on the negative or on the digitized negatives but it does appear on when enlarging negatives and it appears in the same place regardless of the negative being mounted. I have read that they could be reflections of the easel or the negative holder... I currently use a Beseler 23c XL enlarger, a 6x6 carrier with a silver face and a four-leaf Saunders easel, it has happened to me with Ilford FB paper. I have only experienced strange lines before like hairs but not located on the edge like now, but in the middle of the photo on the Agfa RC paper, but I changed the exact chemistry and they disappeared.
Would you give me any advice?

Best regards.

koraks · Jan 20, 2025

Could you please post an example image to illustrate the problem?

xkaes · Jan 20, 2025

Try a process of elimination.

Have you tried turning the negative around in the holder -- I don't mean flipping it over.

If you rotate the negative and the "thin dense black line" does NOT rotate too, then the problem is NOT the negative.

Emilro · Jan 20, 2025

It always happens in the same part of the paper, and it does not see in the white parts of the print around the corners. So I guest it isn't in the negatives.

xkaes · Jan 20, 2025

That suggests light coming from the enlarger, somehow. Try making an exposure for the same length of time with the front of the lens cover up. Does the line still show up?

pentaxuser · Jan 20, 2025

Emilro said:
. I currently use a Beseler 23c XL enlarger, a 6x6 carrier with a silver face and a four-leaf Saunders easel, it has happened to me with Ilford FB paper. I have only experienced strange lines before like hairs but not located on the edge like now, but in the middle of the photo on the Agfa RC paper, but I changed the exact chemistry and they disappeared.
Would you give me any advice?

Best regards.

The way this reads to me ís that a change of chemistry has solved the problem which suggests chemistry as the problem but if that were the case why write saying you have a problem so I must have misunderstood

So you had the same problem as with Ilford FB when you used Agfa paper but this was the same problem ín the middle of the paper? So the problem has moved from the middle (Agfa) to the edge ( IlfordFB)?

So has the problem with Ilford FB now disappeared since your change of chemístry

I feel I may have misunderstood the sequence of events and what you mean by a change of chemistry but you can tell me what I have misunderstood

Thanks

pentaxuser

Vaughn · Jan 20, 2025

May not be the issue, but thin black lines appearing in different places on different papers does have a common cause.

When photo paper first hits the developer, it can become hypersensitive to pressure -- causing mechanical 'exposure'. Pushing the paper down into the developer with tongs (esp SS tongs w/o rubber tips) is one of the main culprits. The pressure of the tip of the tongs on the paper 'exposes' the silver creating black marks.

Sensitivity to pressure quickly reduces as development starts to take place. When I was printing 16x20 prints on Agfa Portiga Rapid, I introduced the paper to the developer upside down, then turn the paper over, emlusion up. I would get finger prints on each corner where I grabbed the paper to flip it over. I first thought it was contamination from my fingers, but it was not -- just from the pressure of grabbing the paper corners early in development.

Doremus Scudder · Jan 22, 2025

I'd really like to see a photograph of the problem before I venture an answer.

Doremus

Donald Qualls · Jan 29, 2025

Vaughn said:
When I was printing 16x20 prints on Agfa Portiga Rapid, I introduced the paper to the developer upside down, then turn the paper over, emlusion up. I would get finger prints on each corner where I grabbed the paper to flip it over. I first thought it was contamination from my fingers, but it was not -- just from the pressure of grabbing the paper corners early in development.

In one of the photography courses I took (don't recall if it was high school, around 1975, or college, close to 1980) it was recommended to arch the paper, emulsion down and on the outside of the curve, and drop it so it uncurled as it landed in the developing tray, then let it remain face down throughout the developing time (agitating as usual, i.e. constant tray rocking). This was, first, to get the entire emulsion into the developer in as little time as possible, and second to allay the temptation to "snatch" the print if it seems dark enough before full development (indicating overexposure, but inviting uneven development).

This method would also minimize the risk of pressure marks on the print (tong prodding to immerse the print would be on the base side, which would be much less prone to passing pressure into the halide), and might be worth trying.

Doremus Scudder · Jan 30, 2025

I must be lucky, I've never had a pressure mark on any of my prints from developer tray or tongs, or any fingerprints from handling them either.

I use rubber-tipped tongs for the most part, but will use my hands when I'm shuffling several prints in the developer. I flop the prints into the tray emulsion-side down and then flip to emulsion side up after a while. I agitate by flipping, shuffling and by pressing the print back down into the developer with the tips of the tongs after it has floated up.

Never a pressure mark. I've used lots of different papers, all fiber-base, glossy, from old Kodak and Agfa papers through Seagull and Zone VI Brilliant, Ilford Galerie, Ilfobrom (which I like a lot, really), Slavich, Foma, Bergger, Cachet, Adox MC110 (which I'm really hoping will come back!) etc., etc. I'm now using Foma and Ilford MG.

I'd still like to see a photo of the OP's problem,

Doremus

Help, Black thin lines in enlarging paper.

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