Does paper go bad?

[dshugar]

I'm sure there's been a thread or two on this in the past, but I'm trying to pack up my apartment before moving on Saturday and can't spend the time searching. Not that it would take much time to do the search itself, but I would probably spend an hour or two reading all the interesting posts that had nothing to do with what I need to know, but sounded interesting nevertheless. Anyway, to the question. I've got a pack (used some of it a few years back) of 20x24 Ilford Multigrade IV RC Deluxe paper that I'm wondering about. I'd hate to throw it out, as large paper isn't cheap, but I haven't used a darkroom in a while. Will the paper still be good? Perhaps this will be the kick in the pants I need to go hunt down a darkroom...

Oh, the paper is probably 4 or 5 years old.

 

[payasam]

Possibly fogged. No way to tell without trying out a sheet or a piece.

 

[skahde]

Oh, the paper is probably 4 or 5 years old.

Would be as good as new for graded paper, soft fogged and unusable for Agfa MCC or MCP from the midth of the 90's but Multigrade IV will have lost a little bit of contrast at worst.

Keep it.

Stefan

 

[Rick Waldroup]

How has it been stored?

Stefan is probably right in his assesment. I would keep it, especially because of the size. Do you know anyone with a darkroom where you could try it out?

 

[Teus]

I'm using such paper my father bought over ten years ago. No base fog, but the paper needs really hard filters. My negs, optimised for scanning, print well on gradation 4. Now gradation 7 doesn't cut it with relatively flat negatives, so I got a hard time getting deep blacks.

 

[bmattock]

Yes, paper can go bad. I've got paper that has given me cuts for no reason at all. Bad, bad, paper. Next it will be pushing over little old ladies in the street and stealing kid's lunch money.

 

[dshugar]

Yes, paper can go bad. I've got paper that has given me cuts for no reason at all. Bad, bad, paper. Next it will be pushing over little old ladies in the street and stealing kid's lunch money.

You know, my pack of paper was sitting in the dark, at the back of the closet, playing with matches. Perhaps he's gone off his rocker! Ha! Seriously, the paper has been stored in the back of the closet for the past 4 years or so. I'll try it out in a darkroom as soon as I can!

 

[ibcrewin]

You could mail it to me.. and I'll check it out! 😉