Paper Turning Black in the Developer?

kinkedsb

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So I bought brand new Dektol in powder for today and diluted and everything.
I started doing some test prints and all of the test prints in the Dektol are turning pitch black. If it helps I'm using Ilford Multigrade IV Deluxe paper in Dektol at 68 degrees Farenheit.
 

David A. Goldfarb

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Has the paper been exposed to light or do you have some major light leak in your darkroom or perhaps an inappropriate safelight? Did you try developing a sheet that you haven't exposed under the enlarger? Have you tried substantially reducing the exposure for your test prints? What f:stop are you set at, and what base exposure time are you using for your tests?
 

Paul Goutiere

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Someone correct me, I may be wrong, but it sounds like the paper may have been light struck, perhaps someone inadvertently opened the package.

Check your darkroom lights as well.

Best of luck.
 
OP
OP

kinkedsb

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That's probably what happened. It might have been exposed somewhere along the line. I'm not sure when though. Because there is nothing else that could go wrong, I have the enlarger set at f/8 and am exposing the test prints around 10-15 seconds.
 

ann

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increase your fstop tdo 16 and see what happens. And to second david's suggestion, develop an unexposed piece of paper in the developer
 

Photo Engineer

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Take one sheet out in total darkness and place it in the developer for 1 minute in the dark. Then stop, then fix and turn on the lights. If it is black the paper has been exposed to white light.

PE
 
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OP

kinkedsb

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I figured out that that's what was wrong, I had exposed almost the whole batch of paper to white light a while back without knowing at all. I was able to get 1 decent print out of the whole batch, which was in the middle bottom so it didn't get effected by the light. But thanks for all the help! You guys saved me a bunch of effort or figuring out what wen't wrong.
 

JBrunner

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We've all done that.
 

Steve Smith

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I bought some paper from ebay llike that once.

Each sheet was pre-exposed with a picture of a black cat in a coal cellar at night.


Steve.
 
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