Paper Shelf Life

Martin Aislabie · Jan 15, 2008

Packets of paper do not come with a use by date - only a batch number.
Why doesn't paper have a use by date like film?
Where are the first signs of deterioration in the emulsion first seen?
Thanks in advance
Martin

Konical · Jan 15, 2008

Good Afternoon, Martin,

I can't answer your first question. Generally, a higher fog level and/or reduced contrast are early signs of deterioration.

Konical

Ian Grant · Jan 15, 2008

The answer to the first question is because if paper is stored well it has a very good shelf life, as it ages it loses speed and a bit of contrast.

It can last for years in a cool dry darkroom away from chemical fumes. I've got 40 year old Kodak Bromide & Bromesko paper that still prints well, and Agfa Record Rapid that is still virtually like new from about 1988. Not all papers keep well, I found Sterling built up a very high base fog with age.

Ian

jeroldharter · Jan 15, 2008

I think "it depends" on the paper and storage conditions. I have a bunch of Zone VI paper that is about 10 years old that prints well with no fogging or apparent reduction in contrast.

srs5694 · Jan 15, 2008

FWIW, I've got some Kodak Polycontrast III RC paper that must be several years old. (I bought it with some other stuff on eBay a while back and have only gotten around to using it recently.) I've found that prints I make on it are faded around the edges, as if the paper's losing speed from the outside in. I don't know if this sort of thing is common or not, though. My solution to this problem is to print with borders rather than borderless; the faded area is small enough that even narrow borders mask it.

Snapshot · Jan 15, 2008

I used some llford Multigrade Pearl paper that was 7 years old. It wasn't stored very well but I was able to get a decent print. It was definitely slower, however, with a slight loss of contrast.

Mark Layne · Jan 15, 2008

I have 40 yearold Brovira that is fine. The worst I have encountered is Polymax FB which seems to fog much too soon. Pity as it has a beautiful surface texture
Mark

jgjbowen · Jan 16, 2008

I had the same experience as Mark with some older Polymax. I purchased a 500 sheet box off Ebay. I got a tip from a LF forum member to check the paper for fogging. When it arrived, I tore a sheet in 1/2 and put 1/2 straght in the fix while developing the other 1/2 in dektol for 2 minutes. At the end of 2 minutes the developed piece was about a zone IV in tone.

I contacted the seller and they promptly refunded my $$. I tossed the paper, but now I wished I'd kept it. Perhaps some day I could fix the paper and coat it with one of PE's Azo like emulsions.

My experience with some 30+ year old Azo grade 4, is that it compares quite favorabley with 21st century Azo grade 3. The old grade 4 has just the very slightest hint of fog, but I may be able to get rid of this with a little extra KBr in the Amidol.

maxbloom · Jan 16, 2008

Cadmium helps.

Rich Ullsmith · Jan 17, 2008

Having bought out fairly large stocks of paper from estate sales, and knowing that they were stored in like conditions, I can say with great certainty that VC papers will not tolerate time as well as graded papers. Of the graded papers, the silver chloride papers seem to tolerate aging even better.

The first sign of deterioration? Well, to me, any second-hand VC paper is suspect. Your contact sheet will look muddy. The quick test was mentioned above: develop an unexposed strip, fix it and compare to an undeveloped fixed unexposed strip. So long as your safelights are good, they should look the same.

Cor · Jan 17, 2008

Hi,

Could you elaborate in this? I know and have used Benzotriazole successfully in reducing/eliminating fog, and I know that cadmium enhances stability of photo paper (but is banned nowadays because of environmental reasons), but how do you reduce fog with cadmium (adding to the developer?)

Best,

Cor

maxbloom said:
Cadmium helps.

Ian Grant · Jan 17, 2008

I think its a bit late to add Cadmium. It can be used as a white toner Don't ask I have tried it !!!!!!!!

Adding bromide can help.

Ian

Ronald Moravec · Jan 17, 2008

Modern papers have a 2/3 year life after which they fog. They started adding chemicals so they did not have to be aged in inventory after coating and the end user got shafted.

Older paper can last decades. I have some expired in 1968 that still works, Kodak Medalist.

Ilford dates the paper by lot number, unfortunately only readable by them. An e-mail will get you the mfg date. I used to follow it and knew, but lost tract. It is in the first two digits that change by month and cycle 01 to 99 and restart. What I can`t remember is the code to match a month/year to the number. Just buy on with the highest number you can find.

jgjbowen · Jan 17, 2008

Ronald Moravec said:
It is in the first two digits that change by month and cycle 01 to 99 and restart. What I can`t remember is the code to match a month/year to the number. Just buy on with the highest number you can find.

What???? I would suspect that a number beginning with, oh, say 03 would be fresher than oh, say 86

Ian Grant · Jan 17, 2008

The Ilford coding system which had nothing to do with emulsion/batch numbers used to be a letter followed by two digits, these indicate the date of manufacture, the digits were the last two numbers of the year. I've used very little Ilford paper and almost no film since about 1986 so I can't tell you when the system changed.

Ian

PeterB · Jan 18, 2008

jgjbowen said:
I tossed the paper, but now I wished I'd kept it. Perhaps some day I could fix the paper and coat it with one of PE's Azo like emulsions.

How does one "repair" the paper ? i.e. strip off/remove the emulsion in preparation for coating it with another emulsion ?

I also have plenty of out of date or fogged paper that could be put to good use this way.

Peter

Ian Grant · Jan 18, 2008

You fix the paper and wash it well, you don't actually remove the emulsion just the silver salts.

Ian

Paper Shelf Life

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