Red Spot on Print - RA4 Printing

Hello,

I have started darkroom printing today with some RA4 printing.

I used portra 400 negatives (developed at home) with a Durst M605 enlarger. For the chemistry, I use Bellini RA4 at 35°C, freshly mixed today. For the developper, I used 100ml and discard 50ml of solution and replace it with 50ml of fresh solution for the next strip. Last, I use jobo drum 2830.

For the first test strip, I put 50Y, 40M and 0C at f5.6. I exposed by increments of 3s.



I was surprised to see it was so dark and so blue.

So for the second test strip, I put 70Y, 40M and 0C at f16. I exposed by increments of 3s.



Based on the second test strip, I exposed the third one for 10s with 100Y, 40M and 0C at f16.



Once the strip was completely dry, I realized that 10s is actually way too much (next time, I'll try 6s) but the main issue is those red spots on the sides of the strip.

I tried looking up this issue on the forum but I didn't find any thread about this specific issue. I considered light leak but the cases of that issue seem different from what I have.

It seems that there was some contamination but I'm not sure at which stage.

Can someone help identify what went wrong and how to fix it please ?

Thank you.

Sargon said:

I considered light leak

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That's what it looks like to me.

The red spot which isn't so much a defined spot as an ill defined reddish-magenta mark reminds me of what I had when I cut 10x8 sheets into two 5x7 sheets On the edge of the cutting board I had a reflective/luminous tape to help me locate the right area on the board and this glowed very faintly in the dark I was careless enough to put the tape near enough to where I cut the sheet for it to reflect its light on to the sheet, I stripped the cutting board of the tape and no more marks like those you show


So I agree wíth koraks that it is a light leak of some kind

pentaxuser

pentaxuser said:

On the edge of the cutting board I had a reflective/luminous tape

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Yes, good point @pentaxuser; the source of the fogging can be just about anything and it doesn't have to be white room light. These days, all manner of indicator LEDs are notorious.

koraks said:

Yes, good point @pentaxuser; the source of the fogging can be just about anything and it doesn't have to be white room light. These days, all manner of indicator LEDs are notorious.

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Yes my experience with this sort of problem occurred not long after I had started RA4 printing and wasn't on all prints Without realising it I had managed to avoid the tape extracting the sheet and putting it on the cutting board by sheer chance so it had me puzzled for a while

It was a frustrating issue as the OP has found when you are starting RA4 and have a lot of other things to think about

pentaxuser

koraks said:

That's what it looks like to me.

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+1, it looks like when I failed to get a paper safe closed.