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Grey cast with Kodak ra-4 papers ( but not fuji)


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At the art college where I am technician/ Lecturer we are having problems with kodak supra endura

producing a greyish cast in the whites. We have no such problems with the fuji crystal archive. Does

anyone have any idea what could be causing the problem? The Kodak stock is generally fresh but any

thing older than 5 months also seems to have a yellowish grey cast in the whites.

 

We use an old 30" ESPA GRAF roller transport machine and agfa AP94 ra4 chemistry

 

Developer 35 degrees 45 secs

 

BLIX 35 degrees 45 secs

 

Wash 35 degrees 2 minutes ( single bath with reasonable flow rate )

 

Drier 50 degrees 45 secs

 

 

Would anyone have any idea?

 

Thanks,

 

Matthew Stanton

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Did the problem just appear suddenly? That is, could you process Supra Endura with no problem previously?

 

Do you mix papers from Fuji and Kodak in the same run?

 

Have you tried handeling and processing an unexposed sheet of Endura in TOTAL darkness, not just your normal conditions?

 

I have never had that problem after just running about 1000 sheets through my processor. I only used Kodak chemistry and Endura.

 

Ron Mowrey

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The paper has been from a number of different packets of supra endura, I have put

unexposed pieces through the machine staight out of the pack in complete darkness. The

thing is that even from the same pack sometimes the cast will be stronger or weaker but it

is always there, the whites dont seem clean like the fuji's .

 

I thought it could be that there could have been some contamination in the developer

from the blix that the kodak was more sensitive to than the fuji.

 

My other guess was that it could be due to insufficient wash or poor wash water quality ie

maybe algae formation in the bath but once again the fuji seems pretty good.

To entend the wash time means to also extend the dev and blix time also so my only real

option to improve the wash is water temp which i am reluctant to take above 40 degrees c.

 

Any further ideas?

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If you have some fresh developer replenisher, put some in a tray at room temp along with a tray of blix.

 

Then develop a sheet of Endura for 2' in the tray and blix for 2'30" in the blix. This should be at 68 to 70 deg F. Turn on the lights and wash for about 10' at 80 deg F.

 

If your paper is white, then something is wrong with the processor.

 

Ron Mowrey

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  • 2 weeks later...

It turns out the blix was the culprit. I did a litmus test and the ph was around 8, way too

alkaline. I dumped the blix and mixed a new tank and things now look great with both fuji

and kodak paper. I guess there must be too much developer carry through into the blix

because we have no squeegees installed. i guess i will just up the replenishment rate and

look at getting squeegees fitted in the future.

 

Thanks,

 

Matthew

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