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Processing 50 year old paper

Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 11:03 am
by allanw
I want to use some 50-60 year old paper. I've collected a sampling of some of the great old papers and want to print using them. In the past I've gotten beautiful prints from 75 year old contact speed paper, but this batch is all projection paper.

I'd appreciate ideas from anyone who has done this, so I need waste as few sheets as possible. (I'm thinking anti-fog #3 is in order.)

Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 2:46 pm
by tigerbox
I have used 20-30 year old room temperature stored Emaks and Agfa papers. I had fun in the darkroom & could experiment with 200+ 24x18 and 100 30x40 but results where never great. Most copies were not only fogged but the dmax was a grayish blue (in dektol).

Old paper

Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 3:02 pm
by allanw
Thanks for the response. I don't expect to get good prints, just the best that can be gotten for such old paper. I've been happily surprised with very old Velox contact paper, and with very old (50-60) film. Actually, I think film holds up better than paper.

tigerbox wrote:I have used 20-30 year old room temperature stored Emaks and Agfa papers. I had fun in the darkroom & could experiment with 200+ 24x18 and 100 30x40 but results where never great. Most copies were not only fogged but the dmax was a grayish blue (in dektol).

Using old paper

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 7:45 am
by pentaxpete
Hi folks, I am NEW here,but an OLD SNAPPER!
I have a load of old paper still to use up,which was given to me. I found it mostly goes very SOFT in contrast (Ilfospeed Grade 5 becomes Grade 0!)and the whites on AGFA go pink,same as Tetenal Speed. I have tried a Crawley print developer with benzotriazole in and it gave passable results.
I mix my own developers and may try the Kodak D163 formula with some of the benzo. in as anti-fog.

Re: Processing 50 year old paper

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:53 am
by Ornello
allanw wrote:I want to use some 50-60 year old paper. I've collected a sampling of some of the great old papers and want to print using them. In the past I've gotten beautiful prints from 75 year old contact speed paper, but this batch is all projection paper.

I'd appreciate ideas from anyone who has done this, so I need waste as few sheets as possible. (I'm thinking anti-fog #3 is in order.)
Success is very doubtful.