Overexposure

Sorry for the newby question but that is what I am in Pr-Pd (na2).

Is the attached image an overexposure problem, restrainer, negative? I had made many successful prints then this started happening. Muddy, solarized? Lack of tonality.

Hahn paper drop 11 FO 9 Pd 2 Pt na2 and Tween 2

Welcome to Photrio!

1: Start by masking your prints so you have an unexposed margin around them. This will tell you whether your whites clear as they should.
2: What kind of negatives are you using and how do you produce them?

My first thought is that you're using negatives with too short a tonal scale, so you're not hitting paper white.

koraks said:

Welcome to Photrio!

1: Start by masking your prints so you have an unexposed margin around them. This will tell you whether your whites clear as they should.
2: What kind of negatives are you using and how do you produce them?

My first thought is that you're using negatives with too short a tonal scale, so you're not hitting paper white.

Click to expand...

I have masked many earlier prints and am getting whites and greys with good tonality. Quad tone Rip from 5x7, 35 and 120negs, usually . The 35mm giving me the biggest issues.

Gerry Yaum said:

Quad tone Rip from 5x7, 35 and 120negs, usually . The 35mm giving me the biggest issues.

Click to expand...

OK, so you're inkjet printing the negs. In that case original format or digital capture don't play a role, so we can ignore that part of the process.
I'd start by printing a step wedge with your pre-determined linearization curve to verify you're getting the same result as when you had just linearized your process. Preferably using an inkjet step tablet that you used originally as the verification of your linearization procedure. If not, you have a process control issue.

Assuming you have properly linearized your negatives. If not, you're evidently shooting a moving target, but I can't imagine anyone working that way.

btw, looks like you've got coating issues here:

Are you sure your process in control?

One of the first things I learned (was taught) in alternative printing with digital negatives was to always include a step wedge on the side - that way you can immediately see what is going on. Comes very useful for processes like Pt/Pd. No need to do trial and error wasting expensive chemistry and wonder if it is over-exposure or something else.