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RA-4 Printing Problem


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I'm having some printing problems using Fujiflex Crystal Archive

(polyester base) with Kodak chemistry. All my prints have a slight

yellow cast (3-5cc). It's not a filtration issue as the unexposed

borders have the same cast. I'm using fresh chemistry, fresh paper,

and a Jobo CPE processor. If I process an unexposed sheet without

developer (bleach-fix only), the print is pure white. The same

picture developed by a local lab using 'regular' crystal archive has

pure white borders. I'm kind of stumped.

 

Paul

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The paper has been in the fridge (4.8 C) for 4 months, I mixed the chemicals the night before. <br><br>My processing:<Br><Br>

 

(temperature 94F/34.4C)<Br>

45 (s) prewash <br>

1:00 developer<Br>

30 (s) stop bath<Br>

45 (s) wash<br>

1:15 bleach-fix<Br>

3 minute wash<br><br>

 

I've tried extending both developer and bleach-fix times to 2:00, no change. Could my paper be slightly fogged? My darkroom is light tight, and I develop late at night. There used to be a Kodak guide with examples of common mistakes/problems, but I can't find it anymore, does anyone have some useful URLs with similar examples?

 

Fuji claims the paper can be kept under 10C indefinately with no adverse effects, is this realistic?

 

 

Paul

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Paul;

 

Your process looks ok.

 

Esa beat me to it with my first suggestion. Sometimes, not always, indicator stop baths can cause a light stain. The way to test it is to put a drop of developer on the yellow stain and see if it changes to a bluish color. If it does, then that is probably the problem.

 

OTOH, you ask about fog. Yellow color indicates exposure to blue light of some sort, or ultra violet. Do you have fluorescent lights in your lab? The afterglow can do this to color paper.

 

Overdevelopment usually leads to cyan fog in Kodak color papers. Exhausted or alkaline blix can cause a yellow stain. You would miss it if you just blixed paper. It takes carryover from color developer to cause the yellow iron stain due to improper pH.

 

Exhausted blix also causes a yellow stain. It is retained silver halide, which may only show up if you have developer carryover into the blix. You can also test this by a drop of developer, and then the spot can turn black or a deeper shade of the yellow color.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Ron Mowrey

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Thank you all for your help. I went out and bought some regular Crystal Archive to do a comparison. The yellow stain is not present with the new batch, so I suspect the original paper was fogged. Pretty strange for a new box of paper - I took sheets from either end, the center, and all are yellow. I hope Fuji will 'warranty' the original box. The Fujiflex is wrapped in a thin plastic coated paper, while the regular uses the more common thick black plastic.

 

Paul

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