Slight cyan casts in RA-4 prints

I've started to get a bit desperate in my problem with printing

color prints with Tetenal Mono RA4 chemicals. It seems to give the

same result every time, which is a slight cyan cast all over the

print. I'm using Jobo drum processor and I've tried manufacturers

processing times from 19 Celsius to 22 Celsius (60 sec. developer

and so on). Chemicals were brand new, and I tried also changing all

of them one by one. Could anyone give few hints, what else could

still be wrong...?

Try adding a little yellow filtration.

This sound like a color balance issue rather than a chemical/process issue. How did you determine the printing filter to use? Is your color analyzer calibrated to this Paper/process?

Why are you running low temps with the processor?

Are the borders to the prints white or cyan. If white, then you probably have a filtration problem, but if the borders are colored there is a problem with either the chemistry or there is some fogging of the paper from light. Are you using a safelight? That will give you cyan fog. Bleach fix contamination in the color developer can give cyan fog.

 

Tetenal is not the best to use. I use EK RA-RT replenisher at 68 deg for 2 mins. That gives me a good image.

 

If development is not stopped fast enough by the bleach fix, and you are not using a stop bath after the color developer, you can get fogging in streaks. It is usually cyan. I recommend using a 2% acetic acid stop bath for 30 seconds after the color developer and then an optional 30 second wash (this latter is to preserve the life of the bleach fix).

 

Post further 'developments' (pun intended) so we can give you further help if needed.

 

Good luck.

 

Ron Mowrey

Yes, thanks for the answers so far. These cyan casts are present also, when the paper hasn't been exposured at all, so there is no white at the borders or at any parts of print, but an even cyan cast. And the temperatures were given with the chemicals so that should be somewhere between 18 C and 25 C (Room temperature).

I've loaded paper into the drum in complete darkness, so I'm using no safe light.

I have tried as well changing developer (because of possible few drops of bleach fix in it) but it didn't solve the problem..

Do this in total darkness:

 

Develop a piece of your RA4 paper in Dektol 1:2 at 68 deg F for 2 minutes. Stop in 2% acetic acid for 30 seconds, and then Fix in any good fix for about 2 minutes then wash for 10 mins and dry. Lights can be used after 1 minute in the fix.

 

Examine this unexposed test sheet in white light and see if it is pure white or grey. A grey cast indicates that the paper is fogged. Pure white paper or cream colored paper is an indication of good paper. This is not a perfect test, but it can help you check if your paper has been fogged or injured by heat.

 

However; in view of your last statement, it sounds like chemistry if it isn't fogged paper. I don't use Tetenal or any other chemistry but EK chemistry, as I have seen too many problems like this. EK will stand behind its chemistry and paper. There is a toll free number for calling in to EK for problems like this, but I don't know if they will help with mixed conditions such as you have.

 

Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

Ron Mowrey

I researched the test pieces in different lights, and came to the conclusion, that it is actually not so very cyan (maybe still a bit:)), but more like creamy white, which I suppose to be quite normal. But the lab conditions in the lab I'm using are far from stabile, and I can't be certain even about the papers I'm using (they are also some generation from past couple years). But I noticed really that my examination light WAS a bit cyan itself, so maybe the problem is not that serious...

Now I know more again. So the lights were also a bit cyan temperature, but also the stop bath I was using was no more proper. So if anyone finds him/herself struggling with this same problem, the stop bath may be the answer. Now the prints are, however, perfectly fine and white. Thanks for everyone!