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What went wrong?

My prints have streaks, blotches or uneven patches

Darkroom prints

What you're seeing

Uneven density: lighter blotches, streaks, tide marks or a darker edge, often following the way the paper went into the tray. Sometimes yellowish blotches appear after fixing.

Check this first

Check this first

Look at whether the marks follow how the paper entered the developer or lay in the tray. If they do, the cause is processing, not the negative.

Likely causes, most common first

  1. 01

    Paper entered the developer slowly, or air bubbles clung to it

    Common
    How to tell
    A line or tide mark parallel to the edge that went in first, or small round light spots where bubbles sat.
    Test it
    Make the same print again, sliding the paper in quickly and smoothly in a dish at least half full, and compare.
    The fix
    Ilford: slide the paper quickly and smoothly into the developer, with no air bubbles on the surface, and fill the dish about half full.

    Source Ilford Photo / Harman technology, Making your first black & white print (information sheet)

  2. 02

    Too little agitation, or the print pulled early

    Common
    How to tell
    Mottled, lighter mid-tones, often on large prints or where several sheets stuck together.
    Test it
    Make the print again with full-time development and steady rocking, and compare.
    The fix
    Ilford: rock the dish throughout development for RC prints, and with several fibre sheets interleave them by moving the bottom sheet to the top. Develop for the full time.

    Sources Ilford Photo / Harman technology, Making your first black & white print (information sheet); ILFORD Imaging UK Limited, Processing and Finishing ILFORD Fibre Base Papers (Fact Sheet, December 2001); HARMAN technology / Ilford Photo, MULTIGRADE RC Papers Technical Information (Oct 2020, 'J20')

  3. 03

    Exhausted or contaminated developer

    Occasional
    How to tell
    The image appears slowly and unevenly. Ilford warns that a trace of stop bath or fixer in the developer gives inconsistent results.
    Test it
    Make the same print in freshly mixed developer, in a clean dish, with clean tongs.
    The fix
    Label dishes and tongs for each solution, keep stop and fixer out of the developer, and mix fresh developer each session.

    Sources Ilford Photo / Harman technology, Making your first black & white print (information sheet); ILFORD Imaging UK Limited, Processing and Finishing ILFORD Fibre Base Papers (Fact Sheet, December 2001)

  4. 04

    Staining from going straight into the fixer without stop or agitation

    Occasional
    How to tell
    Yellowish or brownish blotches that are already there when the print comes out of the fixer, often where prints overlapped. Kodak says prints tend to stain when moved straight from developer to fixer without thorough agitation.
    Test it
    Process two prints, one through an acid stop bath with agitation in the fixer and one without, and compare after fixing.
    The fix
    Use an acid stop bath (Ilford Ilfostop 1+19 for 10 seconds) and keep prints separated and moving in the fixer.

    Sources Eastman Kodak Company, Processing Chemicals and Formulas for Black-and-White Photography (Kodak Publication J-1), 7th edition; ILFORD Imaging UK Limited, Processing and Finishing ILFORD Fibre Base Papers (Fact Sheet, December 2001); HARMAN technology / Ilford Photo, MULTIGRADE RC Papers Technical Information (Oct 2020, 'J20')

  5. 05

    Uneven drying

    Occasional
    How to tell
    Marks appear only after drying, as drip lines or patches with a different sheen.
    Test it
    Make another print, squeegee both sides, give a final rinse with a wetting agent, and dry it the same way.
    The fix
    Ilford: a final rinse in Ilfotol 1+200 aids even drying. Squeegee prints on both sides before drying.

    Sources HARMAN technology / Ilford Photo, MULTIGRADE RC Papers Technical Information (Oct 2020, 'J20'); ILFORD Imaging UK Limited, Processing and Finishing ILFORD Fibre Base Papers (Fact Sheet, December 2001)

Avoiding it next time

  • Slide paper into the developer quickly and face down.
  • Agitate for the full development time.
  • Use a stop bath and keep tongs separate.

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