paper getting yellow

Hello,

I am a newbee here on the forum. I live in Almere, The Netherlands and I have a question. recently I started with practicing in the darkroom. Just today I noticed a print that had been standing in the sun for months......compared to the other prints there was a little yellow color on the papar.

Does this has to do with the chemicals. I use Ilford paper and i just wash the prints 1/2 minutes in the sink....is this not enough?

Thanks!

Jeroen

Schokker said:

...a print that had been standing in the sun for months......
compared to the other prints there was a little yellow
color on the papar.

I use Ilford paper and i just wash the prints 1/2 minutes in
the sink....is this not enough? Thanks! Jeroen

Click to expand...

One of several same processed prints which set for
months in the sun turned a little yellow? Is that RC or
FB paper? Some fixers wash out more quickly than
others but a 1/2 minute wash is not enough. So,
what paper, what fixer? Dan

Hi Dan,

This is my proces:

AM6006 extravarimax paper developer --> 2min

S10 Amaloco stop bath --> 45 sec

x89 extrafix Amaloco --> 1,5 min

washing 1/2 till 1 minute

Film is ilford hp5 and the paper I use is Ilford MGIV &x91/2 in. RC de luxe/ pearl

Hope this helps and maybe you can give me some advice

Jeroen

Have a look at Ilford's data sheet here: http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/20061301948131639.pdf

Steve.

Hello Schokker,

once i noticed, that the white parts of some of my (RC) prints turned yellow. They had been laying on a desk at a north-facing window without direct sun exposure. But they "saw" the blue sky, i.e. ultraviolet light.

I set up a test for some weeks with differently treated test strips (fixed thoroughly in 2 bath, different washing); the test strips were cut in three, one exposed at the north window, one in the direct sun and one kept in the dark for reference.

The outcome was, that there was significant yellowing after six weeks at both exposed strips and it depended not on the amount of washing. My conclusion was, that it was really the paper base becoming yellow.

This test was done with Agfa MCP and Forte Polywarmtone RC. Agfa yellowed, Forte not. I didn't include Ilford in the test, because there was no trace of yellowing at the exposed MG4 when i first noticed the problem with MCP.
Obviously this does not mean, that there will be no yellowing with the MG4. It's just not as sensitive.

Interesting. I have display prints made with MCC, MCP and Fortezo, all displayed in living rooms, hallways, galleries and lobby of a playhouse. They don't stay in galleries for more than a month or so but others do. None of them changed anything. I also kept some scrap prints in direct sunlight but never seen yellow.

Usually, the paper base turning yellow is a sign of residual silver compounds. But this is not very common with fresh fix, good fixing time, and reasonable wash, especially with RC. It is more risky as the fixer gets exhausted.

Another possibility is the loss of optical brightener used in the sizing layer. In this case the paper loses the bluish tint and becomes more creamy white but not like yellow stain.

Either way, some microscope observation and simple chemical assay would tell what kind of yellow it is...


So back to the original question, was the print fixed in a fresh fixer with good agitation? Was the print washed adequately? (well, 30 seconds may be a bit too short, even with warm wash water and vigorous agitation.)