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> slight brown edges to some prints... |
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#1
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slight brown edges to some prints...
So, i've just quickly printed some 8*10s from some negatives I developed earlier today, and a few of the prints have some brown stains on the edges. The stains are only on the edges, and only on some of the prints.
Now when i've had this before, i've convinced myself that it's due to old paper, or some other such thoughts, but what's interesting here is that the problem prints are spread through what I printed this evening, so, for example, the second to last print is fine, but the last print is not, but some earlier on are a bit dodgy. I'm guessing it's then going to be sloppy darkroom technique, and to be honest, i've been rushing to get some test prints out, rather than thinking things through. Is this likely to be under-fixed, or under-stop bathed? In other words, am I carrying dev into the fix on some prints and getting these marks, or am I under-fixing some prints? I believe the prints looked fine in the trays, so this has developed during drying, so i'm guessing it's a fix related issue, and i'm probably not fixing enough. Is this the most likely culprit? |
#2
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If you fix each print the same way then it seems unlikely that it is a fix problem directly. As only the edges are brown and only some of the prints, might it be chemical contamination on you fingers or tongs which was only there on occasions?
This theory completely breaks down of course if you use tongs at all times and the tongs and/or your fingers are effectively "washed" before the final extraction of the prints to be dried Mike |
#3
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Mike, I think you might be right. Looking at the prints carefully, I think the ones that brownish on the edges are also warmer across the print as a whole, suggesting that they were under-washed between dev and fix, but it's just more noticeable on the edges (RC paper, maybe it soaks more dev into the bare edges?).
There is also one example of some tong marks, faint, but clearly there, and the same staining as the edges. So, I think it's just shoddy technique, not enough wash between dev and fix. I don't think i've ever intentionally skipped the wash and dropped a print straight from dev into fix. I guess I could try this and see if I see the same print staining to confirm. |
#4
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I posted a similar problem not so long ago, which I had put down to underfixing. However the problem was actually resolved by renewing the developer, which had been mixed up and used for too long.
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#5
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I think gents it is the lack of stop bath that is at fault.
Stop neutralizes the alkalinity of the developer arresting development preventing staining. Lack of stop contaminates the fix causing it to exhaust quickly increasing the likely hood of staining.
__________________
Mitch http://photomi7ch.blogspot.com/ If you eliminate the impossible whatever remains no matter how improbable must be the truth. |
#6
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Hi, there. Is the paper RC or FB ? It looks to me a washing problem, or some degree of lack thereof. My experience is that if the washing time is on the limit of sufficiency might cause an intermittent problem of staining. Due to the nature of the support FB paper is more prone to exhibit the fault. Using a washing aid helps with FB and resolves definitely the issue with RC. My routine with FB is ten minutes in hypo-clearing and twenty minutes in the washer.
Cheers, M. |
#7
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Cesare, it does sound as if you wash between dev and fix rather than using an acid stop-bath. I'd strongly recommend an acid stop. As little as 10 secs in an acid stop will be enough. Lack of a stop bath may not be the direct cause but while a water wash in film developing is fine and it's what I use myself, I regard an acid stop for printing as essential
Mike |
#8
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Ok, so the conclusion is that it's either old dev, or dev carry over to the fix through inadequate washing between dev and fix (as i'm not using a stop bath).
Being the scientific type, i'll do some experiments next time i'm setup, to see if I can intentionally recreate this problem. I'll try paper straight between dev and fix, and via a wash, and see if I can force the issue. The paper edge was covered by the easel, so it's happening to unexposed paper. I'll look into a stop bath too. I'll report back when i've experimented a bit. |
#9
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I did a experiment some time ago where I developed a print then into stop bath then I washed it and let it dry after a week or so it started to turn a bit brown and this worked its way across the print but the image was still there and a brown stain on top ,I did not go black ,so if the stain get worse it was your fixer ,and you can always test your fixer with a bit of undeveloped film...don't forget if it was that easy every body would be doing it :-)
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#10
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Ok, last night, I intentionally tried to force this to happen. The dev and fix were from the same batch as I used the night before, and I basically took a strip of unexposed paper cut into three bits.
One went dev straight to fix One went dev, quick wash, to fix One went dev, long wash, to fix They all came up beautifully white, with no hint of a brown edge, both when wet, and after they dried. I went on to make some more 8*10s with these chemicals and the results were good, no problems at all, which is what usually happens. So, in conclusion, I reckon that the problem is most likely to be under-fixing, which I know causes brown tints to form. I'm not sure if I rushed the paper into the final wash, or whether i managed to exhaust it by contaminating it somehow (not enough paper went through to cause this). I'd guess I rushed it through the fix, so that's one more thing to be careful of. I guess you can be pretty lax with RC paper, and you FB guys are more on the ball with this stuff as it's easier to exhaust chemistry. I tend to re-use chemistry for a bit when i'm trying out prints on 8*10, then mix up fresh for a proper printing session when i'm doing larger prints (since I tend to keep enough dev and fix mixed for my smaller trays but not the larger). The dev and fix have gone back into their bottles from last night, and i'll do more printing with them. I've got 4 rolls of shots from the peak district which i'm getting excited about printing, so i've got contact prints and am trying out some of the shots as 8*10 as I decide what to do bigger. I think i've got two so far, with a possible third. |
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