Printing Troubleshooting

When a print doesn't look right, systematic diagnosis identifies the problem. Most printing issues have straightforward causes and solutions. This guide helps you identify what went wrong and how to fix it.

Exposure Problems

Prints Too Dark Overall

Symptoms: Everything too dense, shadows blocked, hard to see detail in darker areas.

Causes:

• Exposure time too long
• Aperture too wide
• Paper more sensitive than expected
• Enlarger head too low (image too small, concentrated light)

Solutions:

• Reduce exposure time
• Stop down aperture
• Make new test strip with shorter times
• Raise enlarger head if print size allows

Prints Too Light Overall

Symptoms: Washed out, weak blacks, grey shadows, highlights nearly paper white.

Causes:

• Exposure time too short
• Aperture too small
• Enlarger bulb failing or weak
• Paper fogged or old
• Developer exhausted or too dilute

Solutions:

• Increase exposure time
• Open aperture
• Check enlarger bulb; replace if dim
• Test paper with no exposure (should be pure white after processing)
• Mix fresh developer at correct dilution

Uneven Exposure Across Print

Symptoms: One side or corner darker than another; centre-to-edge brightness difference.

Causes:

• Enlarger not aligned (head tilted)
• Negative carrier not seated properly
• Lens not centred
• Condenser misaligned (condenser enlargers)
• Enlarger bulb failing unevenly

Solutions:

• Check and adjust enlarger alignment
• Reseat negative carrier
• Verify lens is properly mounted and centred
• Realign condensers per enlarger manual
• Replace bulb

Contrast Problems

Flat, Muddy Prints

Symptoms: Blacks are grey, whites are grey, everything compressed into middle tones, no "pop."

Causes:

• Contrast grade too low
• Developer exhausted
• Developer too dilute
• Development time too short
• Negative too high in contrast (requiring very low grade)
• Paper fogged

Solutions:

• Increase contrast grade (add magenta filtration)
• Mix fresh developer at proper dilution
• Develop for full time (minimum 60 seconds)
• Check for safelight fogging (see Paper Problems below)

Harsh, Contrasty Prints

Symptoms: Stark blacks and whites, lost shadow detail, lost highlight detail, few midtones.

Causes:

• Contrast grade too high
• Negative too low in contrast
• Overdevelopment
• Paper stored in heat (increases contrast)

Solutions:

• Decrease contrast grade (add yellow filtration)
• Consider split-grade printing for local contrast control
• Check development time

Blocked Shadows

Symptoms: Shadow areas solid black with no detail, even though negative shows detail.

Causes:

• Exposure too long (overall or local)
• Contrast too high for the negative
• Insufficient dodging
• Condenser enlarger effect (higher contrast than diffusion)

Solutions:

• Reduce exposure
• Lower contrast grade
• Dodge shadow areas during exposure
• Consider diffusion enlarger for contrasty negatives

Blown Highlights

Symptoms: Highlights pure paper white with no texture or detail.

Causes:

• Exposure too short
• Contrast too high
• Insufficient burning
• Negative underexposed (no highlight detail to print)

Solutions:

• Increase exposure
• Lower contrast grade
• Burn highlight areas after base exposure
• Verify negative has highlight detail (view on light table)

Development Problems

Streaks and Uneven Development

Symptoms: Lighter or darker streaks, especially running in one direction; blotchy areas of different density.

Causes:

• Insufficient agitation
• Developer not covering print evenly
• Air bubbles on print surface
• Contaminated developer
• Print stuck to tray bottom

Solutions:

• Agitate continuously, especially during first 10 seconds
• Ensure print is fully submerged immediately
• Slide print emulsion-down into developer, then flip
• Mix fresh developer
• Rock tray throughout development

Exhausted Developer Symptoms

Symptoms: Slow development, weak blacks, prints take longer to reach density, yellowish developer colour.

Causes:

• Developer used beyond capacity
• Developer oxidised (left open too long)
• Developer too old

Solutions:

• Mix fresh developer
• Don't use developer more than 4-6 hours in open tray
• Track prints per litre and discard when capacity reached

Temperature Effects

Symptoms: Inconsistent results between sessions; prints look different despite same settings.

Causes:

• Developer temperature varies
• Seasonal temperature changes in darkroom

Solutions:

• Measure developer temperature before each session
• Maintain consistent 20°C (68°F)
• Adjust development time if temperature differs significantly

Fixing Problems

Yellow Staining (Appears Later)

Symptoms: Print looks fine initially but develops yellow or brown stains over days, weeks, or months.

Causes:

• Insufficient fixing (underfixing)
• Insufficient washing
• Fixer exhausted
• Print stored in acidic materials

Solutions:

• Fix for proper time (30-60s RC, 2-4 min fiber)
• Use two-bath fixing for fiber
• Test fixer with hypo check solution
• Use archival storage materials

Bleaching in Fixer

Symptoms: Image loses density while in fixer; highlights fade; overall lightening.

Causes:

• Overfixing (too long in fixer)
• Fixer too concentrated
• Fixer contaminated with developer (becomes active)

Solutions:

• Fix for recommended time only
• Verify fixer dilution
• Keep fixer and developer trays well separated

Milky Appearance

Symptoms: Print has hazy, translucent, or milky look when wet; may clear somewhat when dry.

Causes:

• Underfixing
• Fixer completely exhausted
• Paper not fully fixed through emulsion

Solutions:

• Refix in fresh fixer if caught immediately
• Mix new fixer
• Check fixing time and agitation

Physical Defects

White Spots (Dust on Negative)

Symptoms: Small white spots scattered across print; spots remain in same position across multiple prints.

Causes:

• Dust on negative
• Dust on enlarger lens
• Dust in negative carrier

Solutions:

• Clean negative with anti-static brush or blower before printing
• Clean enlarger lens
• Clean negative carrier glass (if glass carrier)
• Use compressed air (without propellant residue)

Black Spots (Dust on Paper)

Symptoms: Tiny black specks; spots move position between prints.

Causes:

• Dust on paper surface before exposure
• Dust falling onto paper during exposure
• Dirty easel

Solutions:

• Brush paper before placing in easel
• Keep darkroom clean
• Clean easel surface
• Cover enlarger when not in use

Scratches

Symptoms: Thin lines across image; white lines (scratches on negative emulsion), black lines (scratches on negative base).

Causes:

• Damaged negative
• Rough handling of negative
• Grit in negative carrier

Solutions:

• Handle negatives by edges only
• Clean negative carrier
• Wet mounting can hide minor scratches
• For critical prints, spot (retouch) scratches after printing

Newton Rings

Symptoms: Rainbow-coloured concentric rings, usually in large uniform areas.

Causes:

• Glass negative carrier in contact with film
• Smooth surfaces creating interference patterns

Solutions:

• Use glassless negative carrier
• Use anti-Newton ring (ANR) glass
• Slightly bend negative to break contact
• Wet mounting eliminates Newton rings

Fingerprints

Symptoms: Visible fingerprint pattern in image area; may be lighter or darker than surrounding area.

Causes:

• Touching negative or paper emulsion with fingers
• Oily or dirty fingers

Solutions:

• Handle film and paper by edges only
• Wash hands before handling
• Wear cotton gloves for critical work
• Minor prints on negatives can sometimes be cleaned; prints on paper are permanent

Paper Problems

Fogging (Grey Highlights)

Symptoms: Highlight areas should be paper white but appear grey; overall loss of "sparkle."

Causes:

• Safelight too bright or wrong colour
• Light leak in darkroom
• Paper exposed to stray light before/after exposure
• Old or heat-damaged paper
• Developer contamination

Diagnosis:

1. Process an unexposed sheet of paper
2. If it's grey (not white), there's a fog source
3. Test with different safelight distances and times to isolate cause

Solutions:

• Test safelights with coin test (see Print Exposure Basics)
• Check for light leaks (door seals, ventilation)
• Don't leave paper out of box longer than necessary
• Store paper properly; discard old paper if badly fogged

Paper Base Staining

Symptoms: Paper base (white areas) turns yellow or brown; may appear immediately or develop over time.

Causes:

• Contaminated developer (fixer got in)
• Contaminated fixer (developer got in)
• Exhausted chemistry
• Insufficient washing

Solutions:

• Keep chemistry strictly separated
• Use dedicated tongs for each tray
• Mix fresh chemistry
• Wash thoroughly

Curling and Handling Damage

Symptoms: Creases, cracks, or permanent bends in paper.

Causes:

• Rough handling when wet (fiber paper)
• Forcing curled paper flat too quickly
• Dry paper cracked at folds

Solutions:

• Handle wet fiber prints gently
• Allow proper drying time before flattening
• Store paper flat; don't force curled paper

Enlarger Problems

Uneven Illumination

Symptoms: Centre brighter than edges; one quadrant darker; visible fall-off at corners.

Causes:

• Misaligned condenser (condenser enlargers)
• Wrong condenser for lens/format combination
• Bulb not centred
• Lamp failing

Solutions:

• Realign condensers per enlarger manual
• Verify condenser/lens match
• Check bulb position
• Replace failing bulb

Focus Problems

Symptoms: Print not sharp; some areas sharp, others soft; grain not crisp.

Causes:

• Incorrect focus
• Focus drift (enlarger moved during exposure)
• Film not flat in carrier
• Enlarger misaligned (plane not parallel)
• Lens aberrations at wide apertures

Solutions:

• Use grain focuser for critical focus
• Check focus in corners, not just centre
• Use glass carrier for maximum flatness
• Verify enlarger alignment
• Stop down to f/8-f/11 for best sharpness

Light Leaks

Symptoms: Fogged prints; light streaks; fog worse on prints made later in session.

Causes:

• Enlarger head leaking light at seams
• Bellows holes (bellows enlargers)
• Negative carrier not seating properly

Diagnosis: With enlarger on and lights off, look for light escaping from the head.

Solutions:

• Tape light leaks temporarily
• Replace worn seals
• Check bellows for pinholes (shine light inside, look for dots)
• Ensure carrier seats correctly

Drying Problems

Ferrotype Marks

Symptoms: Shiny spots or patterns on matte or semi-matte surface; glossy patches on what should be uniform.

Causes:

• Wet print contacted shiny surface while drying
• Print stuck to another print while wet
• Improper drying technique

Solutions:

• Dry prints face-down on screens (fiber)
• Don't stack wet prints
• Ensure adequate air circulation during drying

Uneven Gloss

Symptoms: Glossy print has matte patches; inconsistent sheen.

Causes:

• Uneven drying conditions
• Contamination on print surface
• Ferrotyping not complete (if ferrotyping fiber glossy)

Solutions:

• Ensure even air circulation
• Keep print surface clean
• If ferrotyping, ensure complete contact with chrome plate

Cracking (Fiber Paper)

Symptoms: Fine cracks in emulsion, often at corners or in areas of heavy density.

Causes:

• Dried too fast (high heat, low humidity)
• Print flexed after drying before conditioning
• Paper too dry and brittle

Solutions:

• Dry slowly at room temperature
• Allow prints to condition to room humidity
• Handle carefully; condition before flattening

Systematic Troubleshooting Approach

When a print goes wrong, work through this checklist:

Keep Notes

Record what went wrong and how you fixed it. Patterns emerge:

• If fog appears at the same session time, chemistry is exhausting
• If uneven development recurs, agitation technique needs work
• If focus issues persist, enlarger needs alignment

Prevention

Most printing problems are preventable:

• Make test strips for every new negative
• Mix fresh chemistry for important sessions
• Test safelights regularly
• Clean equipment before sessions
• Handle negatives and paper carefully
• Maintain enlarger (alignment, bulbs, cleanliness)
• Process archivally for lasting results

Troubleshooting is a skill that develops with experience. Each problem you solve teaches you something about the process—and makes you a better printer.

Quick Reference