PMK and change of stain color

[J.S.]

Firsts neg i developed in PMK have changed the color of the stain from green in brown! It is normal?!

Neg was Tri-X. Dev-Fix(F24)-dev- 30min wash... all from Photographers Formulary.

Regards and thanks for the help!

Gian

 

[PhotoJim]

A given film type should stain fairly consistently, all other things equal. My Tri-X negatives have a greenish-brown stain, more brown than green.

 

[gainer]

I think Gian is saying that the color of his PMK negs changed after some period of storage. I think I know the question, but don't have the answer.

 

[noseoil]

JS, how does it print? The PMK formula does make different films stain in different ways, but find out what is happening by printing the negative. Has the developer changed color, or is it the stain in the film? tim

 

[J.S.]

I think Gian is saying that the color of his PMK negs changed after some period of storage.

Exactly!

 

[J.S.]

JS, how does it print? The PMK formula does make different films stain in different ways, but find out what is happening by printing the negative. Has the developer changed color, or is it the stain in the film? tim

I do not know... I have only developed the film and then archived it... and when i take the film for printing I noticed that it was turned from lite green in to moderate brown...

I have developerd other film and i have mesured density, now i wait the change of color and then i mesure again ;-)

Thank!

 

[noseoil]

Gian, best way to find out about all of this is to print the negative. Any changes in the stain color are best seen in a print. The stain does have an effect on the print, but to really see it, do a contact print or enlarge to see what is there. Best, tim

 

[sanking]

I do not know... I have only developed the film and then archived it... and when i take the film for printing I noticed that it was turned from lite green in to moderate brown...

I have developerd other film and i have mesured density, now i wait the change of color and then i mesure again ;-)

Thank!

I find this very odd. I have quite a number of PMK negatives made in the 90s and they look the same as when first made. However, I could not absolutely swear that to be the case because who knows if the light source I used back then to evaluate them is the same as I use know. But for sure the overall density and density range of these negatives have not changed. I guess my question would be, are you sure that the color has really changed, or perhaps you are looking at the negatives with different light sources?

Some alternative printers have observed that very long exposures with UV light will reduce the density of stained negatives slightly. I have not observed this in my own work but don't discount that it could be true.

Sandy

 

[nworth]

A film stain is like a dye. Depending on the storage conditions and on the way it was formed, it may not be absolutely stable. That said, I have seen negatives developed in ABC Pyro almost 100 years ago that are still in good condition. Another possibility is that you are viewing the stain under different conditions. The light and the angle could both make a difference. But the real test is how they print.

 

[jim appleyard]

.... Another possibility is that you are viewing the stain under different conditions. The light and the angle could both make a difference. QUOTE]


Good point. Flourescents generally are quite awful to judge a print under. Some lighting stores carry daylight fluorescent bulbs. My local Wal-Mart even had/has them.