RA-4 enlarging issues.

Hello All,

I'm a new photographer and I'm currently working on getting up to speed in the darkroom and with the camera. I'm having some issues with orange stripes on my RA-4 paper enlargements. (See image below).

The stripes to me look like light leaks. However, they're always parallel with the long edge of the paper and almost always in the margin on the paper (under the lip of the paper holder) (some times like image below the strip moves out into the paper -- lower left side)



My setup:

Camera is a Mamiya C330 using Kodak Ektar 100 film.

I developed the negatives myself and when scanned the negatives don't show any of the artifacts I see on the paper so I'm confident the negatives are ok.

RA-4 chemicals are all kodak chemicals used one shot at room temperature 68F (water bath to maintain temps)

I have 2 rolls of both Kodak Royal paper and Fuji Crystal Archive II paper (cold stored not expired). The same effect occurs on both paper types.

I use Cibachrome and another brand of drums on a powered roller for developing (I got the same effect when I did develop in trays as a test).

Developing @ 68F consists of:

1. Pre-Wet for 60 seconds.
2. Develop for 2 minutes.
3. Stop bath for 60 seconds.
3. Blix for 2 minutes.
4. Rinse for 2 minutes under flowing water.

Enlarger is an old Meopta Opemus III with a color tray using color filters. I'm using a densitometer to correct the color and measure the filters.

The paper is being held in a Ganz speed easel. A Kodak #13 filter is being used at about 4 feet from my enlarger.

Observations so far:
1. I never see this with B&W paper.
2. The stripes are always parallel to the long edge of the paper.
3. The darkest orange stripes on the edge are under the metal edging of the Speed Easel not directly exposed.
4. The strips show up both with different Drums or in Tray processing.
5. One shot kodak chemicals doesn't resolve issue. Temperature being used is doubly verified.
6. Changed bulb in enlarger without effect.
7. Taped up light leaks around negative holder without effect.
8. Paper stored in two different light safe's in case one was leaking light.
9. Unable to locate any stray light sources that paper may be getting hit with.

Any and all input is appreciated.

Thanks,
Eric

You mention that you are using a Kodak number 13 safelight, which is dandy, but if it is that close are you using a 7½W light globe? Also 1.2m is the closest it can be, further away is better. Any safelight used for colour paper will usually make a difference. Have you tested the paper for safelight safeness?

My experience with safelights for colour work is that they are so dim it is almost impossible to see unless you have been exposed to that light for quite a few minutes, say at least 5 minutes, But having them is a help, not necessary but a help.

Have you tried doing an exposure without a safelight on?

I have used the same enlarger with colour filters in the tray, your results are excellent to brilliant; save for your possible light leak issue.

It may be that your safelight is reflecting off of the metal easel blades, I have seen some very weird light leaks and reflection issues over the years.

Mick.

Thanks for the quick reply,

I just checked and it looks like it's a 15 watt bulb that came with the filter when I got it. (I see kodak calls for 7.5 watt for direct illumination and 15w for indirect) The safelight is indeed super dim and I have to sit for a few minutes until my eyes adjust enough. to see very faint shapes. It's mostly by feel; it's that dark.

I'll develop some unexposed cut paper and then expose some more paper to the safelight and see if I can find any differences. The paper does see Two exposures to the safelight. One when I cut the paper from the roll and the second when I expose it.

Eric

Could well be the developing tank. I think the testing of unexposed paper, and exposed but without the use of safelight is a good first step. If you're getting stripes, or anything but pure white paper in the first case it's the safelight.

Personally I do not use a safelight and have become fairly accustomed to working in the darkroom without it. Even the cutting part. I have had blotching from reflections but if you are not getting this with an identical setup in black and white. It looks like the matte edges in your example have orange on them while they should be perfectly white.

I think you have some fogging from the safelight. I find it easier to just work in the dark and not have to worry. Also I have had issues with the Ganz easels and reflections onto the paper. I taped the edges in black to fix it. Finally, I have used what was apparently Crystal Archive from Freestyle (Arista) that had fogged edges. Buying only Fuji packed cut paper solved that. You’ll get it worked out, it’s fun. Enjoy

If possible, while in total dark try putting all the paper in a paper safe face down. Count down 5 sheets and put in a piece of same size chipboard or something with a different feel (that doesn't have any cutting debris). Process sheet #5, unexposed, as normal. If it has the same light fog, likely the paper has a manufacturing issue. If not, it was your safelight. Good luck.

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that fog the wrong colour to have been induced by an amber #13 safelight filter?

I've heard of something reflective on the easel causing problems. Will only take one print made without an easel to test.

MattKing said:

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that fog the wrong colour to have been induced by an amber #13 safelight filter?

Click to expand...

That's an interesting observation I missed.

The densitometer reads that dark orange strip as

(0.64 1.82 1.74) RGB. Doing the reverse of that in my head would be something like aquamarine colored light? I think.

Eric

This looks like partial fogging with room light, caused by a light leak in whatever is used to store the paper.

And don't use a safelight. At the permissible light levels, they are so dim as to only help a bit in navigating your darkroom, which is just as easy to do without any light once you get used to it. Any safelight is asking for trouble with color materials. But the safelight is likely not the issue here.

In analyzing the color of the fog, keep in mind that the response of the paper is engineered to account for the orange mask of the film, so you will see some serious deviations between the "inverted" color of the fog and the actual fogging light source.

I will go along with the safe-light as the probable cause of the problem. I use a LPL 7700 for all my colour printing but after cleaning out and re arranging my darkroom I started getting green-ish irregular sized streaks always in the same place but of varying lengths about 1/3rd away from the right hand side and always on a diagonal angle. It was worse with enlargements of up to 12 x 16. I also use a DUKA50 safelight which was re-positioned at the same time on the wall behind where I stand when exposing the paper. The safelight was/is pointed up at the matt white ceiling and paper is always in my shadow of any light. The light adjustment was set at 15 units, no where near the maximum.

It transpired that the reflected light on the ceiling was also reflecting off the chrome parts of the enlarger focusing rails and onto the paper. Of course the higher the enlarger the more exposed the focusing rails were to the reflected light of the safelight.

I slightly re-positioned the safelight and also changed the angle it was pointing at the ceiling and the problem just disappeared.

BMbikerider has not said what his illumination level is like but my impression from his previous posts is that it is far better than the level at which everything is so dim as to be little better than total darkness. I too have a DUKA 50 and in my opinion it is way better than the Kodak 13. I originally had a Durst Tricolour safelight and its colour part operated as does the Kodak. I tried it and after about 15 mins I still could hardly see my hand in front of my face. It was useless in my opinion but not so the DUKA

For some strange reason the benefit of a DUKA sodium light on what was once called APUG and is now Photrio seems to get little recognition. This lack of recognition on its benefit as a safe colour safelight is unwarranted.

pentaxuser

Safelight fog when using a WR13 would be greenish. It is not safelight fog.

It is possibly due to insufficient solution or agitation in the tank.

PE

Well I think I may have found the issue thanks to all of your suggestions.

Test #1: Take a sheet of paper that's been sitting in my light safe for about a month (top sheet) and expose it to the safelight at about 4 inches for 45 seconds to induce safelight fog to see the color.

Result: Fog is a nice blue color, however large amount of orange-brown streaking is still seen (worse then normal)



Test #2: Take a sheet of paper out of the light safe (#4 down in the stack).. No safe light (except when the paper was cut). And develop again.



Color Staining on the edges where the sheets didn't perfectly align in the paper safe..

I think I can conclude that the red-orange tint / fog is light leaking into my paper safe. Safe light fog will show as a blue cast. Day light is showing as an orange-brown.

Now I've used two different light safes and had the same issue so I'm going to need to find a different solution for storing my RA4 paper after being cut. Find a light proof bag I can put the paper safe in?

-Eric

On a different note, I mixed up some fresh developer and blix and noticed that the clear colored concentrate bottle for the blix has precipitated out something and the mix has a slightly milky look to it. It seemed to function properly but any idea of the cause?.. The concentrate bottles are 95% empty so new concentrate is about to be ordered. Is there a preferred storage method for blix concentrate prior to being mixed?

The fix part of your blix is bad.

PE

Ericc said:

Now I've used two different light safes and had the same issue so I'm going to need to find a different solution for storing my RA4 paper after being cut. Find a light proof bag I can put the paper safe in?

Click to expand...

Or the light proof bags that black and white photographic paper comes in.
Then you put the folded bag inside an appropriate paper box, also like the ones black and white paper comes in.
I only use paper safes during darkroom sessions.