Can I use leftover darkroom test strips from a different box of photo paper?
Asked 4/4/2022
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After finishing a box of black-and-white darkroom paper, I sometimes have leftover test strips. Is it okay to use those strips to judge exposure or contrast when printing on sheets from a newly opened box of paper? What matters most: same brand, same paper type, same finish, or same batch number?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
6
Leftover test strips imply that you have more test strips than you need. Implies that a pack of paper includes enough test strips (or more than enough depending on how you look at it).
This suggests that keeping them is just cluttering the darkroom.
Worse, it is clutter that is possibly out of date or a different emulsion…which would make mistakes more likely even if you were not going to be working in the dark with dim light.
Darkroom processes are better when consistent and simple. Saving old test strips is neither.
Originally by user95237. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user95237
4y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes, but only with caution. The safest case is when the test strips and full sheets are the same paper emulsion and ideally the same batch number. If they’re the same emulsion but from different batches, paper speed can vary enough that your exposure may be off by a second or two, which can defeat the point of making test strips. If they’re a different emulsion or even a different surface finish, don’t rely on them.
A practical approach is to compare one old strip and one new strip side by side before trusting the leftovers. If they match, you can likely use them. If not, use fresh paper from the current box.
In general, darkroom printing is easier when materials stay simple and consistent. Saving random old test strips can create confusion, especially if they’re older, from another batch, or not clearly labeled.
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