Unable to achieve black in old Ilford paper

[Eva Bannow]

Tonight I tried to print using an old box of Ilford paper. I gave my test strip 2 1/2 minutes exposure at f4 and only got a medium gray tone. I tried changing the contrast to a 5 and still got the same outcome. I tested the paper and found no base fog. I took a test strip and put it straight into the developer with the white room lights on. After 5 minutes, the test strip had a darker gray but no black.

I tried a different paper and got a proper print.

Paper: Ilford MGF.1K, unknown age
Developer: Dektol

Is there anything I can add to the developer to recover this paper?

 

[Jeff Bannow]

That's a really great question!

 

[keithwms]

Use it for paper negatives?! Or try lithing it maybe?

Sounds like your paper is deceased.

 

[michaelbsc]

If it is fiber (MGF?) I would be tempted to fix it out and yet the Cyanotype trick that was being discussed recently.

 

[ann]

Try straight Dektol, or LPD with out dilution

 

[jp80874]

That's a really great question!

Certainly a totally unbiased comment. Hoping for breakfast this morning Jeff?

John Powers

 

[Jeff Bannow]

Certainly a totally unbiased comment. Hoping for breakfast this morning Jeff?

John Powers

Didn't seem to work!

 

[Bob Carnie]

Got to hand it to you Jeff that was a pretty good try.

Eva- the paper sounds like it is toast, but it is really good for seasoning lith developers, so I keep old flat paper in stacks in my darkroom, open to light, when I lith print I use a bunch of this paper to activate the chems, kind of like getting to the sweet spot faster.
Also I use this paper to focus with, lots of good uses but probably not what you want to use to make good prints with.

Bob

Didn't seem to work!