Manufacturing marks on Multigrade FB Warmtone when sepiatoning

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Jeff Neale - 31 Mar 2004 19:18 GMT

First time posting so here goes !!!

I have a problem with 16X20 MG. Horizontal lines on surface of
emultion seen only after attempting sepia split toning on glossy
surface prints. They're about an inch to 1 1/4 inches apart from one
end to the other and seem worse in high density areas. I'm usually
very careful when toning as I know that ferri can render the emultion
rather fragile. I've seen a few scratches and fingerprints before due
to my own sloppyness and learned my lessons well the hard way. These
marks are a little different though. I don't see 'em after selenium
nor pre-toning. Developer is D-72 home brew, wash, then TF-3 alkaline
rapid fixer as found in "The Cookbook". Those lines don't seem half as
bad when using F-24 so I'm wondering if maybe ammonium fixer is too
powerful for my application but I like the shorter fix time. Sure
beats slogging it out for ten minutes with sodium fixers! Those lines
look like something from the manufacturing stage (maybe)...
I'd appreciate a responce from anyone who has had a similar problem
or any ideas that I may have overlooked. Thanx in advance..Jef

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Mike - 31 Mar 2004 19:28 GMT

> I have a problem with 16X20 MG. Horizontal lines on surface of
> emultion seen only after attempting sepia split toning on glossy
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> I'd appreciate a responce from anyone who has had a similar problem
> or any ideas that I may have overlooked. Thanx in advance..Jef

Do your processing trays have ribs spaced 1 1/4 inches apart?

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Richard Knoppow - 02 Apr 2004 01:57 GMT

> First time posting so here goes !!!
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> I'd appreciate a responce from anyone who has had a similar problem
> or any ideas that I may have overlooked. Thanx in advance..Jef

Its quite possible for these to be some coating defect. I
would write Ilford about it. About the only way of proving
this one way or another is to try the same process with
another batch or paper, or someone else's paper. Pressure on
the emulsion can also result in developable marks. Pressure
marks can happen in manufacture or in handling and
processing. Again, other paper is the way to prove it.
Most paper, either fiber or RC, will fix out completely
in one minute in film strength rapid fixer, regardless of
its pH. Alkaline fixers do not fix faster than acid fixers.
In fact, if a sulfite wash aid is used, they don't even wash
faster. A neutral rapid fixer has the advantage that over
fixing will not cause bleaching but this is not really a
problem with acid fixer if one is careful. Sodium
(conventional) fixers will fix out most paper emulsions in
two minutes or less in fresh fixer or in a two-bath system.
Two-bath fixers are recommended for both standard and rapid
fixer and for both film and paper. No fixer should take ten
minutes to fix paper unless its too exhausted to complete
the fixing in any length of time. The old books which
recommended ten or fifteen minute fixing times for paper and
film assumed a partially exhausted single bath and the
fixing of many sheets at once so that there was little
contact with fresh fixer. Both bad practices. Also, many
older fixing recommendations give the time needed for the
hardener to work fully. Since hardener is not necessary at
all for most modern materials the extended fixing times for
its operation are completely unnecessary.

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---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@ix.netcom.com

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