Ilford Multigrade IV expired

Almach9 · Nov 25, 2017

Greetings. This is my first post on forum.
Few months ago I bought big box of darkroom equipment including some B&W Ilford paper 8x10".
I've tried fresh Ilford Multigrade 8x10" printing from medium format and I had exposing time +/- 18 sec. Although with full box of expired paper I am unable to print. Paper come black after few sec. I can see image for a moment than paper change to black. I've tried exposing time below 1 sec and result is the some

WilmarcoImaging · Nov 25, 2017

Welcome!

What is the power of the enlarger bulb? What aperture is used on the enlarger lens? 18 seconds seems like a long exposure time to me.

1 second and black image isn’t good. What developer and dilution is being used? Have you successfully printed with this enlarger before?

How dense is the negative?

A thin negative with a powerful bulb and a large aperture could be part of the situation.

Almach9 · Nov 25, 2017

Thank you for answer.
I am trying to use about 90 sheets of old paper. Tried different f stops already.
I am using Durst 670, 150W bulb and Nikkor 80mm.

WilmarcoImaging · Nov 25, 2017

Try putting one sheet in the developer, unexposed. If it turns black, the paper is fogged/exposed.

Almach9 · Nov 25, 2017

I will try tomorrow. Thanks

pentaxuser · Nov 25, 2017

Almach9, have you done a strip test with the paper? If not, do so. Use the same aperture as for your successful prints and starting at, say 8 secs. Move in say 3 second intervals over 5 strips, develop the whole strip then tell us what you see.

I think you are saying that you seen the image in the developer for a few seconds( how many?) and then the paper goes completely black Have I got this right? If so, it suggests that the paper is OK but some how it has been greatly overexposed. Did you focus at say f2.8 then forget to move the aperture so that it got 18 seconds at f2.8 instead of the intended aperture of whatever you had used to get a good print?

It certainly sounds as if you failed to close down the aperture but until you do the test strip we cannot know how to help you solve your problem. Try what I have suggested, making sure you close the aperture down to the previous setting such as f8/11.

pentaxuser

Almach9 · Nov 26, 2017

Worked again in Darkroom today. Tested with different apertures, test strips, different times...
I have full box of fully fogged 8x10" paper.
Second box is OK - exposed without negative and developed. Picture come perfect white.

removed account4 · Nov 26, 2017

take the fully exposed box of paper and use it to contact print things in the sun,
its really a lot of fun, and a great use for old expired exposed and fogged paper

Almach9 · Nov 28, 2017

How to use fogged paper?
Lumen developing - I live in Ireland and for sun have to wait until May...

What about potassium Bromide? Is it worth to try?

winger · Nov 28, 2017

Almach9 said:
Lumen developing - I live in Ireland and for sun have to wait until May...

I live in Western PA where it's cloudy a fair amount. Lumen prints still work when it's cloudy (just leave them out longer). My best ones actually happened when it was just before the sun went down.

Ilford Multigrade IV expired

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