Many professionals in my area have been complaining about the quality of RC paper. Many clients have been returning prints because of yellowing. Some as little as one year old. All have been mounted behind glass in frames. Why is this happening? Does selenium stop this? Is FB the only way to go? Please clarify!

-- Debbie Hilaire (dhilaire@serix.com), February 20, 1999

Answers

RC Archival or not ?

Debbie, The reason for prints turn yellow (RC or Fiber) is usually a result of poor processing. Improper fixing and/or washing. Many commercial labs use machine processing for their RC prints and these units do not always produce a completly fixer or washed print. Although the RC archival debate still rages among printers, the last word out of the Image Preservation Institute in Rochester is that there is no reason to believe that properly processed RC prints will be any less archival than Fiber. "Properly processed" does mean either selenium toner or treated with a produce such as AFGA's Sistan, whose primary purpose is to protect the prints from polutants in the enviroment. This issue is now listed as the number image damaging factor by the IPI.

-- jim megargee (mvjim@interport.net), February 20, 1999.

While the problem could be improper fixing or washing, it could also be due to outgassing of the titanium dioxide whitener. This isn't a problem with loose prints; just those sealed in frames. The symptoms are usually small shiny spots that grow larger, but I suppose it could also cause overall discoloration. While some manufacturers insist there's no problem, Agfa confirmed that there was a problem and actually recalled their RC paper and reformulated the whitener to try to solve the problem. At any rate, the direct cause was IMPROPER PROCESSING. By that I mean the paper needs proper fixing, washing in an efficient high-flow washer for an appropriate length of time, then treatment in selenium toner or Agfa Sistan. Or iow, those professionals who are complaining would do very well to follow the manufacturers instructions on processing the paper. Simple as that.

-- John Hicks / John's Camera Shop (jbh@magicnet.net), February 21, 1999.

Untreated in selenium or sistan and placed in a sealed glass frame shortly after processing is a sure way to garbage. Prints left unsealed is not a problem. It's the gasses trapped in the frames. Something about outgassed chemicals being unable to exit the frame.

Proper processing, without toning or sistan, will NOT solve the problem if you frame. Treat with a mild selenium toning as a matter of course and the print stability of RC appears to be excellent.

Peter

-- Peter Thoshinsky (camerabug1@msn.com), February 21, 1999.

I guess this makes a question within a question, but is one of the permanency factors whether or not the RC print was made on developer incorporated paper? In their tech sheet, Kodak talks about using special whiteners in Polymax II to offset the natural yellowing effect of the developer in its emulsion. Kodak also seems to regard RC as less permanent than Ilford does who, along with Agfa (that I know of), offers papers without developer. I do know that I've had an untoned Ilford RC print in a glass frame for over 10 years, and it's still fine.

-- Brian Hinther (BrianH@sd314.k12.id.us), March 03, 1999.

Since the posting this question I've learned many answers. The most important being that although proper processing is essential, it is our environment that is the culprit. Oxidizing pollutants that are found everywhere in our homes that come from things like fabric, carpets, paint, adhesives, car exhaust are the problem. All the manufacturers recommend stabilizing the print either with selenium toner, brown toner, or Agfa's Sistan which is a print stabilizer. For more information request a data sheet from Ilford called "Oxidative Fading Of B&W Photographs, What Is It?"

-- Debbie Hilaire (dhilaire@serix.com), March 03, 1999.