Should all color paper have a white base?

rpavich · Jun 3, 2017

Hi,
I have been using Fuji Chrystal Archive paper exclusively but I bought a couple of boxes of Mitsubishi Speed Access Color RA-4 paper from Ultrafine Online and the borders are a light tan instead of white after printing.

It sort of looks like warmtone black and white paper.

I just opened the box and printed the one sheet in the same tank as a print from Fuji paper. The fuji is dead white.
Before I contact ultrafine online, I'm just wondering if this is how this paper is supposed to be and I just didn't know it.

rpavich · Jun 3, 2017

Ok before this gets out of hand, it's possible that my blix is exhausted. I did two more and one is light green tint and the other is almost white.

Trying once more with fresh chems....will report.

rpavich · Jun 3, 2017

rpavich said:
Ok before this gets out of hand, it's possible that my blix is exhausted. I did two more and one is light green tint and the other is almost white.

Trying once more with fresh chems....will report.

Report; same result with fresh chems.

Is it possible that it takes a LOT longer to blix than Fuji paper?

dE fENDER · Jun 3, 2017

It is possible that:
1. Paper manufacturer did tests only in one specific chemistry kit;
2. The paper has been fogged by age, temperature or bad package;
3. The paper require a lot longer blix time in your chemistry.

You may try to get some tinopal and process paper in additional bath with it after blix.

rpavich · Jun 3, 2017

Thanks. I think I'll pursue a refund.

newcan1 · Jun 3, 2017

I have some of that paper. I think it is a bit fogged. Small amounts of benzotriazole in the developer often works wonders for age fog in color papers.

rpavich · Jun 4, 2017

newcan1 said:
I have some of that paper. I think it is a bit fogged. Small amounts of benzotriazole in the developer often works wonders for age fog in color papers.

Thanks. I guess Ultrafine might have suspected that also, they offered me a refund.

btaylor · Jun 4, 2017

Thanks for this information.

Of late I have tried the Freestyle RA4 paper and Fuji Crystal Archive. The only 100% perfect every time paper has been the Fuji, which I purchased both from Unique Photo and Freestyle. The Freestyle branded paper had occasional defects like a small fine line extending into the picture area exactly at the longitudinal center point on many sheets and an occasional sheet where it appears slightly light fogged on about half the sheet. This was evident on both 8x10 and 11x14 sheets. Processing is through roller transport. Given the time it takes to make a single enlargement I am really happy with, the lost 8 minutes on a bad sheet is not worth any pennies saved with less than perfect paper.

mklw1954 · Jun 4, 2017

The base should be white or you will not be able to achieve white in your prints, and whites in the print is a good way of checking your color filtration settings.

I have gotten old color paper in enlarger deals and had to get rid of it all of and use fresh paper (Fuji Crystal Archive Type II). No problems with this paper and I store it in the refrigerator, placing the box in a plastic bag, when it will not be used for a while.

I once tried the Ultrafine house brand, probably the same as other suppliers carry, and it was nowhere near as good as the Fuji paper. Unique Photo has good prices on the 8x10 and 11x14 Fuji paper.

rpavich · Jun 4, 2017

mklw1954 said:
The base should be white or you will not be able to achieve white in your prints, and whites in the print is a good way of checking your color filtration settings.

I have gotten old color paper in enlarger deals and had to get rid of it all of and use fresh paper (Fuji Crystal Archive Type II). No problems with this paper and I store it in the refrigerator, placing the box in a plastic bag, when it will not be used for a while.

I once tried the Ultrafine house brand, probably the same as other suppliers carry, and it was nowhere near as good as the Fuji paper. Unique Photo has good prices on the 8x10 and 11x14 Fuji paper.

Thanks, I'll check them.

Ronald Moravec · Jun 8, 2017

Stick with major brands & you will better off in the long run.

Save yourself a lot of trouble and buy a brick or more of one emulsion film freezing all but a few rolls, Same with paper. Buy 100 sheets and freeze 75 using 25 in an old box of paper which you keep in the frig when not in use. I used to cut down larger sizes to 8x10 so everything is the same. Make some stops so paper can be cut in the dark. Invest in a good rotary trimmer.

By doing this you will save more time and expense than buy trying to color balance different batches of film & paper.

Decades back, a wedding group would all buy a years supply of film from Kodak and they all used that batch until it was gone. They all had ownership in the lab and you could not bring odd film in. This was 5000 rolls at a time.

Before color, my friend bought 10 cases of 100 foot rolls at a time. He speed calibrated it and set up the development time . Printing went easily because of this. His Sunday night project was to develop 150 rolls for his basement lab to print the next week. He lived in Chicago and water was unmetered so that was a big savings. I was a job for the neighbor women whom he trained.

sfaber17 · Sep 11, 2017

rpavich said:
Hi,
I have been using Fuji Chrystal Archive paper exclusively but I bought a couple of boxes of Mitsubishi Speed Access Color RA-4 paper from Ultrafine Online and the borders are a light tan instead of white after printing.
View attachment 180465 View attachment 180466

I have a bunch of that Mitsubishi paper also, maybe not exactly the same type, but I also see the tan edges. I still like the paper and it was cheap. Hmm, I wonder if my roll of Fuji will be tan now that it is old.

Should all color paper have a white base?

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