Yellow staining on paper edges

[Solarize]

I'm just washing some prints after a long session, and have noticed that the paper edges are a yellow colour. The effect is subtle on some prints, and quite severe on others. The images are centred in the middle with a wide border, and the stain does not creep in that far.

Am I good to bleach and then fix the edges to remove the stain, or should I be concerned with any longer term adverse effects?

The paper is at least two years old, perhaps more, and it's been stored in pretty irregular temperature conditions - so I'm thinking fog or something?

Anyway, this is client work so I don't wan't to take any chances.... but it's also a lot of printing, which I'd prefer not to redo!

Can I bleach and refix, while being confident that the paper won't deteriorate further, or am I best off starting again?

Thanks in advance,
Ciaran

 

[trexx]

Trim the edges all around an eighth of an inch.. This is likely fixer that has made it in to the paper base and not fully washed. Also the age of the paper there could be some edge fogging that is just enough to cause some AgX change in the developer and fixer.

 

[Solarize]

Thanks Trexx,

Unfortunately some of the prints are to be presented in archival sleeves of 8x10 proportions, so in this instance trimming is not a suitable option. I've made a few more prints, and the results have been hit and miss. Some are totally wrecked as the stain extends over the whole paper. I'm using fesh chemicals and clean trays.... think I'll have to cut my losses and dump the paper.

Any ideas on the possiblity of selectively bleaching the border and then refixing? I suspect this might remove the stain on the less affected examples, but if there is some underlying problem I don't want to simply hide it and have the prints returned further down the line.

Thanks,
Ciaran

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Ciaran,

Have the prints been selenium toned? I experienced generalized off-white to yellow staining after selenium toning the prints in a bath that had become excessively contaminated with acid fix. Switching to a Sodium Sulphite cleaning bath between fixing and toning solved the problem (along with a fresh working solution of selenium toner).

The staining gave the paper base a different colour, i.e. you would need to know that ILFORD GALERIE should have a completely white base (at least on casual observation).

Tom.

 

[Solarize]

No toning as yet. I notice the stain straight out of the fix. Fresh fix and rewashing has not helped.

I understand the yellowing after Selenium that you have experienced - iit has happened to me in the past.

I'll probably go the selective bleach route today, give them a little tone and hope for the best!

Ciaran

 

[Ian Grant]

You might try swabbing the edges with strong rapid fixer, the yellow stain is a side effect of fixing in a silver laden fixing bath, it's unlikely to bleach out, sometimes a Poatssium Permanganate/Chloride bleach works but you run the risk of damage to the print area itself.

Two bath fixing is the best way of preventing this happening in future.

Ian

 

[Martin Reed]

We got a lot of this, visible as light brown staining on the edges of Ilford Warmtone 42" rolls a year or two ago, about half an inch into the print. This particular one seemed to be packaging related - Harman reviewed the way the rolls were boxed & sorted it. For a time Mike Spry was ferricyaniding (is that a verb?) the white edges of every print while in the fix, which was successful if tedious.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Martin,

Have you found any staining results on boxed paper due to packaging issues?

Tom.

 

[Solarize]

We got a lot of this, visible as light brown staining on the edges of Ilford Warmtone 42" rolls a year or two ago, about half an inch into the print. This particular one seemed to be packaging related - Harman reviewed the way the rolls were boxed & sorted it. For a time Mike Spry was ferricyaniding (is that a verb?) the white edges of every print while in the fix, which was successful if tedious.

Martin, that is just what I have done. Frustrating, but much less so than reprinting the lot on new stock.

Like Tom, I also wonder if there was a problem with the packaging on boxes as well as rolls. I can trace the paper back to your shop from around that time - could the issue have been related? More than likely poor storage on my behalf. I'll be in for some archival sleeves tommorow.

Thanks for the advice Ian. The prints have been through a two bath fixer now.

Ciaran

 

[Martin Reed]

Martin,

Have you found any staining results on boxed paper due to packaging issues?

Tom.

No, never with fresh paper, any edge staining is probably going to show up on opened boxes that have been exposed to contamination in the darkroom.
With the rolls, my gut feeling was it was due to the proximity of the paper edge to the cut edge of the cardboard core that was causing it.

 

[Dali]

Hi,

I got the same trouble a few years ago with several batches of Oriental VC-FB paper. Margins were yellowing as sheets dried.

After several attempts, I switched to Ilford Multigrade FB: no more trouble!

Last detail: I always process my paper the same way with the same couple developer / fixer and I always follow the manufacturer's guidance.