Hello,

Till now I have only been printing RC papers, mostly Agfa 310 paper. I was always pleased with the results. Now, this week I tried FB paper first, (Agfa 118) following the instructions from the data sheet as good as possible. However all prints have a disturbing gray cast, even the unexposed parts covered by the printing frame. I suspect I am doing something wrong here but have no clue what. Any hints to help me out ? Thanks.

-- Marc Leest (mmm@n2photography.com), August 29, 2000

Answers

Sounds like fog. Is your safelight the correct type for the Afga 118? If it is correct, is it safe? How was the paper stored...excessive heat? I'm sorry I just have questions but you need to check things out.

-- Robert Orofino (rorofino@iopener.net), August 29, 2000.

If I encountered the problem you describe, my first thought would be the paper has been stored improperly. In fact, I ran into this very problem with Agfa 118 a few years ago. Now, I only keep around fifty sheets on my shelf. The rest of my stock is in a refrigerator. Hope this helps...

Tom Schumacher

-- Tom Schumacher (tlschuma@orotech.net), August 29, 2000.

I would automatically suspect the age or storage conditions of the paper if your RC came out ok under the same printing conditions. Take the paper back to the store along with the exposed sheet and ask for another make of paper like Ilford and try it again. They may not exchange the paper but at least it lets them know you are on to their lousy purchasing/shelf rotation schemes. james

-- james (james_mickelson@hotmail.com), August 29, 2000.

Hmmm... I just made a print in total darkness (except the LED from my timer). Same result. However, I purchased simultanously a box of Agfa 111, still unopened. I'll do a test with this paper.

-- Marc Leest (mmm@n2photography.com), August 29, 2000.

The safelight for your old RC paper need not be safe for the FB paper. Yet, as you have excluded that through printing in total darkness, I think there remain other possible causes of the fog:

1) It is not really fog, but the paper is just not as white as the one you were used to.

Some papers contain brighteners, others don't. This may give the impression of the paper being gray. The surface also plays a part here. Compare a glossy print to a matte one. The impression is also that the whites are less white.

2) Chemical fogging

Certain chemicals, such as hydrogen sulphide (from sepia toner) tend to chemically fog paper. Consider your storing conditions.

3) Fogging through inappropriate or prologend storage

Adverse storage conditions, such as heat and humidity, over extended periods can lead to fogging, too. The paper may also be fogged if stored very long, even under good conditions.

If you can exclude any problem on your side, you should return the package to the supplier or the manufacturer and ask for replacement.

-- Thomas Wollstein (thomas_wollstein@web.de), August 30, 2000.

Another test is to cut a sheet in half, in total darkness. Put one half through the normal development sequence. Put the other half directly in the fixer. If they are not the same color/tone, then the paper is fogged.

If they are the same, it is likely that the paper baseis different than you are used to. There are some types of fogging that cause the fog without development, but it is not that common.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), August 30, 2000.