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Old 25th June 2018, 12:28 PM
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CambsIan CambsIan is offline
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Default Old paper

I'm sure this has been asked before, just can't find the thread.

What is the best way to test Ilford VC paper to see if is OK ?

I have box that is most likely about 3 yrs old, has neen stored in it's original box under my desk. I am hoping to use it this weekend.

Ian
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Old 25th June 2018, 01:04 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Providing it has not been stored in very hot conditions it should be fine I have used some rc paper that had been stored in my darkroom for 4 years last week and it was fine, paper should keep for 4 or 5 years without problems, in the past I have used paper stored in the darkroom for 5 years without problems
Richard
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Old 25th June 2018, 01:28 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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If the paper has never been opened or only opened under what you know to be safe safelight then you can rule out light fogging. The test for ageing as far as I understand it is to develop, fix and wash a strip under safelight then fix and wash only another strip. Compare the strips both should be equally white. If the developed strip is slightly grey then the paper has the beginnings of age-fogging. This can be "cured" with the addition of benzotriazole in the developer provided the fogging is only a very light grey. The third problem to be checked for is lack of contrast. Beyond a certain age( usually a lot of years) the paper is incapable of responding to changes in filtration to increase grades. A good check for this is a test strip which you have exposed at say grade 2,3, 4 and 5. You should see a change of grade for each step.

I had, still have in fact, some Ilford MGIII which comes out at what looks like grade 1( a soft overall grey look to the print) and I cannot coax any more contrast out of it but MGIII is really ancient paper now.

At 3 years old I'd have no worries about it

Mike
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Old 25th June 2018, 08:08 PM
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Thanks Richard, Thanks Mike.

Hopefully will get to try to make some prints on Sunday, won't have long as darkshed will soon become unbareable if it turns out to be a hot day.

Ian
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Old 25th June 2018, 09:40 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CambsIan View Post
Thanks Richard, Thanks Mike.

Hopefully will get to try to make some prints on Sunday, won't have long as darkshed will soon become unbareable if it turns out to be a hot day.

Ian
Hotter here than Gibraltar today. My house is getting to that unbearable stage now let alone a shed which must be like a furnace. I now need my 4th Novo Processor slot to store crushed ice to throw some into the slots and some on the Scotch to aid my darkroom judgement . Plays havoc with dilutions mind you( applies to both the Scotch and print developer) so in an evening I go from "Scotch on the rocks" to "prints on the rocks" made by a Scot on the rocks.

Mike
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Old 26th June 2018, 01:46 AM
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Pretty sure it will be OK - I have used MGIV over 10 years old stored in a spare bedroom and it was fine. Some Foma warmtone of the same vintage and storage conditions did not fare as well tho

I tend to point the safelight at the wall and develop a test piece in near darkness. I also have an AGFA transmission step wedge that is good for things like this so I can compare a strip taken with the suspect paper and known good paper (if available). If not available, then just take a negative you know well and print it on the suspect paper - you will soon see if it is starting to fog and/or contrast is being lost.

Good luck, Bob.
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Old 26th June 2018, 04:20 PM
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Just to let you know that just popped a themometer in the shed it's only 34.4C.

Ian
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