Testing old B&W paper

Robert Ley · Sep 30, 2022

As I'm out of analog photography after 50+ years I find myself with quite a bit of old B&W paper that I would like to test for condition and pass on to others. Most of the paper (Ilford RC mostly) has been either stored frozen or in a fairly cool and dry spot and I suspect that it is still good. I'm an old codger, 75y/o and hate to throw anything away that may have a use, I'm looking to pass this paper on.

I would like to test this paper as I still have a darkroom and chemicals, but no enlarger. That being said, what is the easiest way to test the paper or if I should even test it. I have about a half pound of Kodak Anti-fog #1 (benzotriazol) and could provide some benzo with each purchase.

The sizes that I have are 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24 in Multigrade and Multigrade Warm tone.

Thanks for any help I can get from the good folks at Photrio.

Bill Burk · Sep 30, 2022

In your darkroom, check the safelight and dark by putting a coin on a couple pieces of the paper and leave it out for a good time, maybe fifteen minutes, take off the coins, set one sheet aside and flash a dim light for a second or less (depending how dim) on one of the sheets and develop them both. If you can see white under where both coins were but both sheets are gray… bad safelight. If one sheet is white and the other is gray and you can see outline of coin and it’s white beneath good safelight and good paper.

If both sheets are mucky gray and it’s gray where the coins were bad paper

Nitroplait · Sep 30, 2022

Just give it away to someone and let them check for themselves. Why bother?

Bill Burk · Sep 30, 2022

I would check it just to set the recipient’s expectations (unless it was sealed). Also there could be valuable paper in there. I would be looking for a “silver mine” (not literally, but old paper good enough to use)

There are some people who like the paper for its base and don’t care if its fogged. Like alt processes where they want to fix and wash then recoat with their own. So don’t discard without checking around.

Doremus Scudder · Sep 30, 2022

Cut a piece of paper in strips. Develop, stop and fix one normally, just don't expose it first. Just fix the second one. Rinse well and compare. If they are both the same shade of white, your paper is just fine. If the developed one is darker, there is age fogging.

Sometimes, the paper on the inside of the stack is fogged less than the outside sheets. Test both.

If the age fogging is not too bad, you can counteract it by adding benzotriazole to your print developer (lots of threads about that here - search). Sometimes overall bleaching with a weak ferricyanide bleach helps to clear the fog too.

Safelight tests should be done whether or not your paper is old

Paper that is too fogged to make good prints with can be used for lith printing. If you don't do than (I don't), there are people here that would be happy to take the paper off your hands.

Best,

Doremus

Don_ih · Sep 30, 2022

Robert Ley said:
As I'm out of analog photography after 50+ years I find myself with quite a bit of old B&W paper that I would like to test for condition and pass on to others. Most of the paper (Ilford RC mostly) has been either stored frozen or in a fairly cool and dry spot and I suspect that it is still good. I'm an old codger, 75y/o and hate to throw anything away that may have a use, I'm looking to pass this paper on.

I would like to test this paper as I still have a darkroom and chemicals, but no enlarger. That being said, what is the easiest way to test the paper or if I should even test it. I have about a half pound of Kodak Anti-fog #1 (benzotriazol) and could provide some benzo with each purchase.

The sizes that I have are 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24 in Multigrade and Multigrade Warm tone.

Thanks for any help I can get from the good folks at Photrio.

My bet is the MGWT is good. If the Multigrade is MGIII - it's probably bad.

You need to enlarge or contact print a negative to tell if the paper is good. Checking for fog is nice. Checking for proper contrast is what matters.

Ilford RC MG paper probably can't be lithed, if it's MGII or MGIII.

koraks · Sep 30, 2022

Doremus Scudder said:
If they are both the same shade of white, your paper is just fine.

Contrast may still have been affected. With the age of this paper, it's actually more like: contrast will be affected. Whether that's a bad thing, is up to the user to decide.

Robert Ley said:
(Ilford RC mostly)

My experiences with old RC paper are rather disappointing. So much so in fact that whenever I come across any that's older than a decade or so, I just dispose of it. It's never worth the trouble.

If it cannot be used for regular printing, you may find someone who likes to use it for pouring carbon transfer tissue onto. It works quite well for this. You can even make final transfers to it although I don't think (m)any carbon printers care for the RC look.

Doremus Scudder · Sep 30, 2022

koraks said:
Contrast may still have been affected. With the age of this paper, it's actually more like: contrast will be affected. Whether that's a bad thing, is up to the user to decide.

My experiences with old RC paper are rather disappointing. So much so in fact that whenever I come across any that's older than a decade or so, I just dispose of it. It's never worth the trouble.
....

Koraks,

Yeah, I just gave a generic answer. My experience with RC paper is 35+ years old; I started using FB and never looked back. Maybe just springing for newer paper is the better course of action.

As far as contrast goes; if you can still make a decent print, even at a higher contrast setting than would be used for fresh paper, then great. If not, then "just dispose of it." IM-HO, RC paper itself is never worth the trouble.

Doremus

koraks · Sep 30, 2022

Yeah, you're right. I do use RC sometimes, but only the stock I have left. I've stopped buying it some time ago because I rarely used it anyway.

gone · Sep 30, 2022

I'm an old codger too, but have a different philosophy: if it's not being used, then sell it, give it away, or throw it away and move on.

It's counter intuitive that as we age, we carry more crap around, even though we're less able (or even remember what we have if it's been in a closet or storage for years). Like a hermit crab, always needing to shed our home because we need a bigger one. It's freeing to lighten the load and simplify.

Didn't Thoreau say that? "Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say let our affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred....."

He's one Yankee I would have liked to meet. He also said that while it was bad to have a Southern overseer, it was worse to have a Northern one. Gotta love him for that.

Don_ih · Sep 30, 2022

momus said:
Thoreau

He also died of a paper cut.

Well, not quite but close enough.

MTGseattle · Oct 15, 2022

Thanks for this thread everyone. I almost started a new one as I have 4 boxes of Agfa Portriga rapid lurking around here, and I need to test it. I had vaguely remembered the test being simple, but also thought that there must be more to it than I remember.

RalphLambrecht · Oct 15, 2022

Robert Ley said:
As I'm out of analog photography after 50+ years I find myself with quite a bit of old B&W paper that I would like to test for condition and pass on to others. Most of the paper (Ilford RC mostly) has been either stored frozen or in a fairly cool and dry spot and I suspect that it is still good. I'm an old codger, 75y/o and hate to throw anything away that may have a use, I'm looking to pass this paper on.

I would like to test this paper as I still have a darkroom and chemicals, but no enlarger. That being said, what is the easiest way to test the paper or if I should even test it. I have about a half pound of Kodak Anti-fog #1 (benzotriazol) and could provide some benzo with each purchase.

The sizes that I have are 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24 in Multigrade and Multigrade Warm tone.

Thanks for any help I can get from the good folks at Photrio.

without any testing, it can be expected that the aper lost speed and contrast. For that you can test with a large Stouffer tablet.But be warned, the papr is likely unusable for high-quality prints. However, it could do some good for learning in a high-school darkroom!

Robert Ley · Oct 15, 2022

I would like to thank all who responded to this thread. I found a place in Buffalo to donate all my surplus analog gear. It is called the CEPA Gallery and they have a good darkroom that members can use and they also have classes and teach kids in the local schools. I talked with the young director of the program and he is delighted to receive my excess paper, chemicals and gear.
Now I don't have to spend time packing and shipping and may even get involved in some teaching too.

MattKing · Oct 15, 2022

I bet they would also appreciate sharing in your experience as well - if you are interested in helping inspire those new to the darkroom.

Testing old B&W paper

Robert Ley

Bill Burk

Nitroplait

Bill Burk

Doremus Scudder

Don_ih

koraks

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gone

Don_ih

MTGseattle

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Robert Ley

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Testing old B&W paper

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