Black/silver spots on prints

[zsoltmajzik]

Hi Everyone,

 

Recently, I restarted my darkroom printing.

I have still few hundred 8x10 Ilford Multigrade IV RC DeLuxe Paper at home and I used those.

 

I have a problem that after fixing and turning the light on few dark (silver) spots appear on the prints (see image).

The location of the spots changes randomly but I can't get rid of them.

They seem to be silver silver halide spots, not removed by the fixer and activated by light.

 

I tried different development time and fixing time: between 1 and 4 minutes.

All chemicals are fairly new, only few prints have been made.

 

I use Ilford Multigrade developer and Ilford fixer, and stop bath between.

I don't do hypo clear for RC papers.

 

Do you have an idea what could cause the problem?

The papers are few years old but they seem to work fine, apart from these spots...

I would like to use them up, if I can..

 

[kmac]

Might be bits of sediment in the developer. Try filtering the developer before using

[JDMvW]

Try filtering the developer before using

Coffee filters will do fine/

[zsoltmajzik]

Many thanks, I will try to filter.

[bgelfand]

Coffee filters will do fine/

 

Just in cased...

 

Those paper coffee filters, not the reusable filters that come with some coffee pots.

[bethe_fisher]

Ilford multigrade developer is sold as a liquid and I've never had a precipitate in mine.

To me, the spots look like something got spattered on the paper at some point before the fixer. Looking at her chin, it also looks like the development was uneven.

How long is the print in each chemical? It needs to be consistent, btw - same amount of time for each print. Right-side up or upside down? How much agitation? Do you have one pair of tongs for each chemical? Do you wash the tongs and keep each with the same chemical always?

 

With Ilford RC and MG Dev, it should be 1 minute in the developer and with Ilford rapid fix about 30 seconds or 1 minute in the fixer (depending on if it's 1:4 or 1:9). The fixer timing can change if you do a two-bath fixer.

FWIW, my tongs and my trays are all labeled and each is only ever used with one step of the process. All prints are in each chemical for exactly the same amount of time. I vary the look by changing the exposure only. When I move the paper to the next tray, I allow it to drip first before putting it in the next one and it is face down all the way through. I agitate by lightly rocking the trays through the time.

[zsoltmajzik]

Thanks Bethe_fisher!

 

"To me, the spots look like something got spattered on the paper at some point before the fixer. Looking at her chin, it also looks like the development was uneven."

 

I used these print to exercise with potassium ferricyanide bleaching, that's why the chin is not good because bleaching went wrong.

 

"

How long is the print in each chemical? It needs to be consistent, btw - same amount of time for each print. Right-side up or upside down? How much agitation? Do you have one pair of tongs for each chemical? Do you wash the tongs and keep each with the same chemical always?"

 

I do 1 min in the developer and 1 min in the fixer, 1:9 solution. I do face up and I'll try face down all the time.