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What went wrong?

The white borders and highlights of my prints come out grey

Darkroom prints

What you're seeing

Borders that should be paper-white are grey or veiled, and highlights look dull. Sometimes it is worse at one edge or in one part of the darkroom.

Check this first

Check this first

In total darkness, develop and fix a strip of unexposed paper straight from the box. If it comes out grey, the paper itself is fogged. If it is white, look at your darkroom lighting.

Likely causes, most common first

  1. 01

    Unsafe safelight

    Common
    How to tell
    Paper that sat longer by the developing tray, where safelight is usually brightest, is greyer. A strip developed in total darkness is white.
    Test it
    Run the Kodak K-4 or Ilford safelight test: a pale grey enlarger exposure on part of the sheet, then steps of 0, 1, 2 and 4 minutes under the safelight, developed in darkness. Any density change in the first minute means conditions are unsafe.
    The fix
    Ilford recommends an SL1 or 902 safelight with a 15 W bulb at least 1.2 m away, safe for up to 4 minutes. Filters fade with use: Ilford suggests changing them each year. Kodak adds that you can develop half the time with the safelight off.

    Sources Eastman Kodak Company, How Safe Is Your Safelight? A Guide to Darkroom Illumination; HARMAN technology / Ilford Photo, Safelight Filters and Darkroom Lamps (Technical Information, June 2010); Ilford Photo (HARMAN technology), Testing your safelights (Expert Series, posted 31 March 2017); HARMAN technology / Ilford Photo, MULTIGRADE RC Papers Technical Information (Oct 2020, 'J20'); HARMAN technology / Ilford Photo, MULTIGRADE FB CLASSIC Technical Information (Oct 2013)

  2. 02

    White light leaking into the darkroom or from equipment

    Common
    How to tell
    Fog is uneven, for example stronger towards a door or the enlarger. Kodak lists light escaping from the enlarger head, lighted dials on equipment, pinholes to lit rooms, and plywood that lets through infrared.
    Test it
    Switch off every light, safelights included, and wait at least 10 to 15 minutes for your eyes to adapt, then look for light round doors, blinds, the enlarger head and timer displays.
    The fix
    Seal the leaks, cover or switch off glowing displays, and paint the wall behind the enlarger flat black, as Kodak suggests.

    Sources Eastman Kodak Company, How Safe Is Your Safelight? A Guide to Darkroom Illumination; HARMAN technology / Ilford Photo, Safelight Filters and Darkroom Lamps (Technical Information, June 2010)

  3. 03

    Old, badly stored or light-struck paper

    Occasional
    How to tell
    A strip developed in total darkness, straight from the box, is grey. Ilford rates Multigrade paper for up to two years in a cool, dry place in its original packaging, and warns against high temperature and humidity.
    Test it
    Develop an unexposed strip from this box and one from a newer box side by side in total darkness.
    The fix
    Replace the paper. Store it cool and dry in its packaging, and return unused sheets to the box straight away.

    Sources HARMAN technology / Ilford Photo, MULTIGRADE RC Papers Technical Information (Oct 2020, 'J20'); HARMAN technology / Ilford Photo, MULTIGRADE FB CLASSIC Technical Information (Oct 2013)

Avoiding it next time

  • Test your safelights once a year.
  • Keep paper in its light-tight packaging and handle it face down.
  • Check the darkroom for leaks after your eyes have adapted to the dark.

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