is my paper useless

[wilfbiffherb]

i have recently come into some ilfospeed grade 4 paper that expired in1992.i just came to develop it today and it came out solid black after exposure under the enlarger. I then stuck another unexposed sheet into the dev and it too came out solid black. Is this paper useless or will i be able to clear it up?

 

[cliveh]

i have recently come into some ilfospeed grade 4 paper that expired in1992.i just came to develop it today and it came out solid black after exposure under the enlarger. I then stuck another unexposed sheet into the dev and it too came out solid black. Is this paper useless or will i be able to clear it up?

It appears to be completely fogged and quite useless for conventional printing. However, there are other things you could do with it. For instance when processed as a black print you could draw on the emulsion side with a biro and contact this onto unfogged paper, to create a reversal of your drawing.

 

[wilfbiffherb]

Dammit. That is not good news.

 

[Roger Cole]

It's fogged. Could someone have opened it in room light in the past?

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

Sometimes the top few sheets may be fogged, try grabbing one from the center of the stack.

If they are fogged/exposed to light, you can use them for lumen prints, or drawing with fixer.

 

[wilfbiffherb]

Afraid im not familiar with lumen prints or fixer drawing. Yeah ill try some from the middle of the pack. The box was sealed so i dont think its been opened in room light.

 

[Roger Cole]

Essentially the answer to your question is "unfortunately, yes."

People are suggesting things you can do with fogged paper but in the general sense of making normal looking photographic prints on it, it's dead.