Pretty sure my paper has gone bad, but looking to confirm

[glbeas]

That square format image has the fogging outside the image area with odd looking marks contiguous inside the image. That tells me you have damaged emulsion, possibly chemical contamination. I wouldnt waste any more time on it.

 

[PFGS]

That square format image has the fogging outside the image area with odd looking marks contiguous inside the image. That tells me you have damaged emulsion, possibly chemical contamination. I wouldnt waste any more time on it.

In that second set of images? I think you (and one previous poster) are right - this is contamination of some kind. I'm not _that_ careless with my process, and I've changed almost every other variable, one at a time.

 

[glbeas]

The only other thing however remote is if the box was stored next to some radioactive minerals for a length of time. Im sure you would have noticed anything getting on the box and soaking in.

 

[newcan1]

Forgive me if I missed this, but it seems that the obvious hasn't been done: develop a sheet without any exposure, in total darkness. The borders on your prints were all unfogged. I bet this test will render a totally white sheet. If so, if I were a betting man, I would say that there is nothing wrong with this paper. Something else is going on, maybe the developer.

 

[PFGS]

Forgive me if I missed this, but it seems that the obvious hasn't been done: develop a sheet without any exposure, in total darkness. The borders on your prints were all unfogged. I bet this test will render a totally white sheet. If so, if I were a betting man, I would say that there is nothing wrong with this paper. Something else is going on, maybe the developer.

It's there in my first post but easy to miss - I did do a zero-exposure, straight to the tray print. It was white. The paper seems to require exposure, but then doesn't develop evenly.

 

[PFGS]

For anyone still curious - it was the paper. Finally got a chance to go back in, and changed nothing except switching to a fresh new pack of Ilford MGRC Deluxe (the new-ish-ly released 5th gen). Nice crisp prints, no swirl or other nonsense. Loving the tone & dmax of that paper, too.