Questions on Fog in Salt and Albumen Prints

As in the first post of this topic, I have observed similar fogging issues while using Hahnemühle Platinum Rag. That is not a buffered paper.
That is why I attempted to solve the fogging issue permanently, and I introduced a concentrated salt wash as part of my workflow. In order to dissolve and remove the unexposed silver chloride present in the paper fibers.
And that is also why I said I am not entirely convinced that the primary reason for fogging is the paper buffer.

Herzeleid said:

As in the first post of this topic, I have observed similar fogging issues while using Hahnemühle Platinum Rag. That is not a buffered paper.
That is why I attempted to solve the fogging issue permanently, and I introduced a concentrated salt wash as part of my workflow. In order to dissolve and remove the unexposed silver chloride present in the paper fibers.
And that is also why I said I am not entirely convinced that the primary reason for fogging is the paper buffer.

Click to expand...

Yes, it does not need to have the buffer for fogging on the paper (the dark reaction kind, not the one that happens due to inadequate fixing which is indeed an another source but that develops long after processing.) Number of things in the paper can reduce silver nitrate to silver - starting from cellulose (cotton fibers themselves) which a good reducing agent. The same reason why skin turns dark if happens to come in contact with it. What the buffer does is provide alkaline environment where the spontaneous precipitation of Ag metal is more favorable. Conversely adding an acid in the mix slows down this dark reaction enough to make an exposure and process the print.

I did a study back when with various papers and found that the only un-buffered paper (COT 320) in the whole bunch had the least (or none) amount of dark stain stain developed.

:Niranjan.

Herzeleid said:

As in the first post of this topic, I have observed similar fogging issues while using Hahnemühle Platinum Rag. That is not a buffered paper.
That is why I attempted to solve the fogging issue permanently, and I introduced a concentrated salt wash as part of my workflow. In order to dissolve and remove the unexposed silver chloride present in the paper fibers.
And that is also why I said I am not entirely convinced that the primary reason for fogging is the paper buffer.

Click to expand...

I have seen similar fogging during processing with COT 160, also an unbuffered paper.