How to open a bag of Ilford papers

[NB23]

Why would someone open a bag this way?


https://www.ebay.com/itm/193109971727

 

[Donald Qualls]

Been open a while, too, judging by the print-out on the edges/corners...

 

[NB23]

Been open a while, too, judging by the print-out on the edges/corners...

Nothing that Bleach can’t solve...

 

[Rick A]

The sad part is, someone will invariably buy it, then join a forum and ask why they're having a problem with it.

 

[John Salim]

A few weeks ago I saw someone selling some rolls of RA-4 paper on eBay .... all nicely laid out in the open for all to see !

John S

 

[Sirius Glass]

<<sigh>>

 

[AgX]

We got a special thread on such Ebay offers. And a few days ago another thread on this. This topic comes up again and again.
As I said last week, recently I did open a pack of halide paper myself not realizing that it was a pack of such paper. How then should even an ignorant person today know how to handle such? Not all packages have a clear warning against opening in the light.

 

[foc]

We got a special thread on such Ebay offers. And a few days ago another thread on this. This topic comes up again and again.
As I said last week, recently I did open a pack of halide paper myself not realizing that it was a pack of such paper. How then should even an ignorant person today know how to handle such? Not all packages have a clear warning against opening in the light.

I think a lot of people don't understand the concept of photographic film/paper's sensitivity to light, and especially in a digital photography age. (and why should they?)
When I used to train an employee the 1st steps in film development, the hardest thing was to get them to understand that if you don't pull the film out of the film cassette in total darkness (35mm) you will ruin it. (doesn't happen on my phone)
Their idea of photo paper was inkjet. Try explaining silver halide paper................
Regularly I was asked, when changing a RA4 rep cartridge, was that when the ink was added.
Only the other day I saw, on ebay, an Agfacolor CNS film, expired 1975 and it was advertised as C41
Caveat emptor.

 

[AgX]

Exactly: when they know that film is being modified by light so to say, that does not mean they know that such applies to halide paper too.

The whole darkroom concept is enigmatic to many.
In case you see an enlarger at a fleamarket, stay there and listen what young passers-by will say...

Do not forget, they do not even know about a slide projector.

 

[Bikerider]

As we say in UK if anyone buys this - What a pillock!

 

[seall]

Best I have seen is a picture of the packet open just to show what the paper looks like and text saying "Unused, I checked and counted 100 sheets".

 

[R.Gould]

I can better that, in a charity shop here I saw 4 boxes of Ilford MGFB with the sheets displayed in the window, by the looks of them tghey had been there some time, I did go in and pointed out that this sort of paper was to be opened in a darkroom only, theyb were very surprised but did thank me and took them of display

 

[NB23]

Actually guys, I was refering to the ripped open bag. Those bags are thick... and they are just folded. Even a 6 month old baby could access what’s inside the bag by unfolding it, playing with it for a few seconds.

What kind of moron rips the thick bag from a corner to access the paper?

LOL

 

[Donald Qualls]

Actually guys, I was refering to the ripped open bag. Those bags are thick... and they are just folded. Even a 6 month old baby could access what’s inside the bag by unfolding it, playing with it for a few seconds.

What kind of moron rips the thick bag from a corner to access the paper?

LOL

Well, in the seller's defense, judging by the print-out, that corner had been torn and the bag in the light for at least several days before the item was photographed for the listing. May be the seller didn't open it.

 

[NB23]

Well, in the seller's defense, judging by the print-out, that corner had been torn and the bag in the light for at least several days before the item was photographed for the listing. May be the seller didn't open it.

But someone did, and that person should not be trusted in life. How does one come up with such actions?

“Dude, the opening is right here, can’t you see? Hellooo!” *knocking in his skull* “helloooo”

 

[Donald Qualls]

Open box, lift up nearest corner of sealed black plastic bag, see no opening, tear just the corner to see what's inside.

Seems obvious enough for someone completely ignorant of what MGRC might be, especially given that so much sealed packaging (like for food or medicines) seems to be made to be impossible to open without tools...

 

[NB23]

Open box, lift up nearest corner of sealed black plastic bag, see no opening, tear just the corner to see what's inside.

Seems obvious enough for someone completely ignorant of what MGRC might be, especially given that so much sealed packaging (like for food or medicines) seems to be made to be impossible to open without tools...

one flip.
One flip of the bag.
One flip is all it takes to understand how it opens.

i’m not ready to call it rocket science.

 

[Donald Qualls]

I purchased rear lens caps for my RB67 recently. I had to get a scissors to open the packaging.

This is normal in today's world. Normal enough that young folks might not even make the attempt to open an obviously sealed package without tools, or look for where that might be possible. No, not rocket science -- just different "normal" conditions.

 

[Karl K]

A few years ago I taught an "Introduction to Photograhy" class at a local university.
I handed out 6 rolls of Tri-X and a 25 sheet 8x10 pack of Ilford Multigrade to each student.
Just a moment went by before a young lady had already opened the Multigrade pack and was examining the sheets.
Now, I attach a large Post-It Note to each pack of paper: "LIGHT-SENSITIVE PAPER. DO NOT OPEN."

 

[NB23]

I purchased rear lens caps for my RB67 recently. I had to get a scissors to open the packaging.

This is normal in today's world. Normal enough that young folks might not even make the attempt to open an obviously sealed package without tools, or look for where that might be possible. No, not rocket science -- just different "normal" conditions.

I’m confident that you flipped the package a few times before reaching for the scissors.

Do you directly reach for a saw when opening a film canister?

 

[Donald Qualls]

Do you directly reach for a seesaw when opening a film canister?

Presuming a "seesaw" is the device I'm used to calling a "church key", if it's a commercial film cassette, I do. I already know that most of them can't be opened by hand, so I put a bottle opener on the darkroom counter alongside the scissors (for cutting the film off the spool) before I turn out the light. If it's a bulk loading cassette, I can see that immediately. But then, I've dealt with 35mm film for fifty years.

Don't forget today's youth grew up with "impossible" packaging, but not with chemical/analog photography.

 

[Luckless]

Only the other day I saw, on ebay, an Agfacolor CNS film, expired 1975 and it was advertised as C41
Caveat emptor.

Poked around on google for a bit, and I could find a list of CNS films produced, but not the nature of the processing of it. Do see one entry for a later dated CNS 400 on Wikipedia that says C41/AP70, but the earlier CNS just list an undefined "Agfa" process.

 

[NB23]

Saw, no seesaw. Iphone keyboard

Presuming a "seesaw" is the device I'm used to calling a "church key", if it's a commercial film cassette, I do. I already know that most of them can't be opened by hand, so I put a bottle opener on the darkroom counter alongside the scissors (for cutting the film off the spool) before I turn out the light. If it's a bulk loading cassette, I can see that immediately. But then, I've dealt with 35mm film for fifty years.

Don't forget today's youth grew up with "impossible" packaging, but not with chemical/analog photography.

You are a smart man I am sure, and no, you would not go for a SAW just to open up a platic canister. A few flips of the object and you notice there is a lid.

it’s all in the flipping.

 

[foc]

Poked around on google for a bit, and I could find a list of CNS films produced, but not the nature of the processing of it. Do see one entry for a later dated CNS 400 on Wikipedia that says C41/AP70, but the earlier CNS just list an undefined "Agfa" process.

Yes the CNS 400 was Agfa's first C41 ( AP70 was Agfa's code for Kodak C41) film, introduced in late 1970s.
All other colour negative Agfa films at the time were the proprietary process of Agfa and not compatible with C41. The CNS name on a C41 film was confusing as Agfa now had CNS400 (C41) & CNS (the Agfa process) films. It was a bit of a nightmare for labs at the time.
They then introduced Agfacolor 100 and that was C41/AP70 so then IIRC all the Agfa C41 films were call Agfacolor followed by the speed, eg 100,200,400 (the old CNS was 80 ASA).

 

[Luckless]

Can't imagine why anyone in this day and age would be confused about film processing like that from the mid to late 70's with a product history like that...