Old Kodak Paper - what to expect.

[rwboyer]

I am now the proud owner of a 250 sheet box of 8x10 Kodak Ektalure paper with a G surface. I used this stuff like 20 year ago and when I was discussing it with a photo buddy he gave me an unopened box that he had (he doesn't print or even use film anymore).

I have no experience with long expired paper and I do not know what the storage conditions for this stuff was.

Does anyone familiar with this material have any idea what to expect??

RB

 

[pentaxuser]

I don't think anyone can say for definite what to expect unless he knows age of paper and storage conditions. Assuming your buddy can't remember when he got it,isn't there a code on the box that could be checked with Kodak? Probably quicker and easier is to check for age fogging by cutting a piece of a sheet in two under a safelight and then placing one piece straight into the fixer then wash. Place the second piece into dev, stop and fix and compare colour. If it is age fogged the dev stop and fix piece will look grey compared to the fixed piece. If there is no difference then you are good to go for printing. It is still possible that it not be age fogged but still have lost some of its contrast range but this may or may not be a problem for you.

If it is age-fogged then benzotriazole might help. You can increase the amount in the developer considerably to eliminate the fogging if the first amount doesn't remove fogging.

However if it is more than quite lightly fogged i.e. a very light grey then you will have an uphill struggle to rid it of all its fog.

Some here have had good results with paper that is many years old. I have no idea how good Kodak paper was in terms of resisting age fogging compared to say Ilford, Kentmere or Agfa.

Best of luck

pentaxuser

 

[Ian Grant]

It's a warmtone paper high in Cadmium so it may last OK. In general Warm yone papers age very poorly, it's likely ro have dopped in speed & contrast and if your licky have no base fog, whicj usually builds up faster with warm tone papers particulary those without Cadmium.

Try it.

Ian

 

[PVia]

Sometimes...you can overexpose and underdevelop the paper followed by a ferri bleach step. I do this with several old papers I have, but it has to be the right image as well.