Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Notices

Go Back   Film and Darkroom User > Monochrome Work > Monochrome printing techniques

  ***   Click here for the FADU 2015/2014 Yearbooks   ***

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11th December 2020, 12:59 AM
adrianlambert adrianlambert is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 54
Default Mottled prints

First time in the darkroom for a couple of decades tonight. Seemed to be going ok but then noticed my prints had a subtle mottling in the blacks. I made some mistakes I’ve since found out but not sure they’d cause the blotches. They’re even accross all black and very dark smooth areas.

So, I was developing various 4x5 contacts devved in different developers on cut down 9.5”x12” kentmere glossy - in fresh multigrade at 50+450ml 20°C for 3 mins. 30s in 4yo ilfostop at 25+450ml (don’t ask, I didn’t sleep well last night!) then 2 mins in fresh Ilford Rapid Fixer at 50ml+450ml using 5”x7” trays.

The trays are old and were very heavily stained so I gave them a good scrub with abrasive cleaning liquid followed by a good rinse. Could this have left residue that messed with the dev maybe?

Pretty sure it’s not Newton rings. Looks a bit like when the backing paper has reacted with old film. Or reticulation. The negs look ok.

Anyone got any ideas?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11th December 2020, 08:48 AM
John King John King is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: County Durham
Posts: 3,318
Default Mottled prints

I have seen this effect which was caused or blamed on the paper getting damp. Some people keep the paper in a fridge and when they bring it out it gets warm and this attracts moisture.
It may not affect the printing on that session and they think nothing of it but eventually the unexposed paper is affected and you get mottling.

I am not saying or claiming this is where your problem comes from, but printing paper has an incredibly long life if stored in a room away from a source of heat. It doesn't have to be cold, just not exposed to heat such as a radiator.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11th December 2020, 09:58 AM
adrianlambert adrianlambert is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 54
Default

Yeah, I think that’s reticulation. Thanks.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11th December 2020, 12:24 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Southend on Sea, Essex, England, UK
Posts: 3,796
Default

John is probably spot on with his diagnosis - well done Dr John! - but as is the case in anything like this, a picture of some sort is always helpful with negative, or in this case printing paper, problems.

Terry S
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11th December 2020, 12:39 PM
adrianlambert adrianlambert is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 54
Default

Just tested some new MGRC in the same chems and it’s fine. The Kentmere was a confirmed fresh batch from a good supplier though and I only opened it yesterday.

I struggled to get a clear photo and this one shows it looking worse than it is but does the job. On the left is fresh Kentmere glossy and on the right it is the recently updated MGRC deluxe glossy. Both been through the same trays only minutes apart.

I’m now talking with the supplier and ilford about it so I think the puzzle is on the way to being solved.

I think moisture could well be the issue though but not from cold storage as the two boxes were stored together in a cool English room temperature of between 12°c and 17°c. I don’t like to run the heating too high. Both boxes were opened in a room with a very similar temp so condensation not a problem either.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 14th December 2020, 10:54 AM
photomi7ch's Avatar
photomi7ch photomi7ch is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: East Midlands
Posts: 2,516
Default

To me it looks like the texture of the paper.
__________________
Mitch

http://photomi7ch.blogspot.com/

If you eliminate the impossible whatever remains no matter how improbable must be the truth.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 14th December 2020, 11:50 AM
John King John King is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: County Durham
Posts: 3,318
Default Reticulation!?

I have never ever seen reticulation on printing paper. I would say that is almost impossible to create, It is hard enough to deliberately get it on film nowadays.

Reticulation is caused when a film is taken from a warm wet environment such as the developer and plunged into a far colder bath such as plain water or stop/fixer that is not around the same temperature as the developer. There has to significant differences. It gives the appearance of a very coarse grain, simply not what you have here. It does not happen when you go from cold to warm
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 14th December 2020, 12:27 PM
Bob's Avatar
Bob Bob is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: London(ish)
Posts: 2,746
Default

Similar to what I have seen when I've pulled paper from the developer too soon - overall low contrast and mottled blacks/shadows. Try a longer time in the dev. Also try exposing and developing in VERY dim safelight in case that paper is more sensitive to your safelight than the MGRC is. Could also try cutting a test piece of paper and process it in normal light as a "nuclear" option - it should go black with no mottling. But if that does not work, it looks like the paper must be at fault as the same chems work OK for the Ilford paper..
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 14th December 2020, 02:00 PM
adrianlambert adrianlambert is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 54
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob View Post
Similar to what I have seen when I've pulled paper from the developer too soon - overall low contrast and mottled blacks/shadows. Try a longer time in the dev. Also try exposing and developing in VERY dim safelight in case that paper is more sensitive to your safelight than the MGRC is. Could also try cutting a test piece of paper and process it in normal light as a "nuclear" option - it should go black with no mottling. But if that does not work, it looks like the paper must be at fault as the same chems work OK for the Ilford paper..


Thanks Bob.
Safe lights were away from the enlarger and trays. Did a test exposure - still mottled. Dev times were over the recommended for the dev and paper. Spoke with Ilford this morning and am sending the balance of the paper along with my tests to them for testing. The likely situation is that I’m being too fussy. They say there is a very small amount of mottling that is acceptable in their Kentmere VC line but it’s below the threshold of almost all users concerns. It is however higher than for the MGRC papers so I may have hit that threshold. I noticed it when the paper was in the wash by shining my phone’s torch onto the paper very close. Not standard testing. But once seen it’s very hard to unsee. And I suspect it would be visible if, god forbid, the print was displayed in a position that got direct sunlight. Btw I chose the try this paper not because it was cheaper than others but because of the comments on it in this clip about it.
https://youtu.be/6N1QYKd2iXA


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 14th December 2020, 03:04 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jersey Channel Islands
Posts: 5,433
Default

I never use Glossy RC paper, prefering the pearl or Lustre papers, but on the odd occasions I have used glossy it is possible to get a very small amount of mottling, and what you seem to be getting is very slight, I would try pearl paper, the finish has a slight sheen, a lot like glossy FB paper, whereas glossy RC is like ferrotyped FB paper, I wouldn't worry to much about what you are getting, it is very slight, as far as Kentmere, it was my paper of choice for very many years, before the buyout by Harman, i never used anything else, both FB and RC, and until the new MGV paper it was the only RC paper I woud use, but the new Ilford paper is so good, it beats the Harman Kentmere by a long stretch, indeed, it is so very close to FB paper in finished print that it will be my paper of choice for 90% of my printing
Richard
Reply With Quote
Reply
Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Prints CambsIan FADU YEARBOOK 2014 42 5th November 2014 08:03 PM
Do digital, colour or black and white, prints sell better than darkroom prints. Mark Burley Business Matters 51 20th September 2013 02:47 PM
Do you like your prints? MarcAeonDELETED Photography in general 21 24th June 2013 10:29 AM
my first FB prints darkclassical Monochrome printing techniques 13 13th November 2009 01:01 PM
So, what do you do with your prints? wiesmier Photography in general 26 20th September 2009 06:55 AM


All times are GMT. The time now is 03:14 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.