Is slight curling normal in newly opened fiber-based darkroom paper, and how should I print with it?
Asked 7/14/2018
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I opened my first box of Ilford fiber-based black-and-white 8x10 paper and found that the sheets are curved even though the box looks undamaged. Is this normal for freshly opened fiber paper? If the sheets are curled, what’s the usual way to keep them flat enough for printing and development?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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A freshly opened box of photo paper should not curve upward. Likely the paper has stored under adverse conditions. The only way to use this paper will be to slip it in an easel that shields the borders i.e. makes prints with white borders. Such easel are the mainstay of any darkroom photo lab. If you don't have one, get one.
Originally by user44949. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user44949
8y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Freshly opened fiber paper generally should not be noticeably curled, so storage conditions may have affected it. The good news is that it’s still usable for printing.
For exposure, the normal solution is to use a darkroom easel. An easel holds the sheet flat and keeps the paper in the correct plane, so focus and exposure uniformity should not be a problem. Easels that mask the edges are standard in darkrooms and also give you clean white borders.
After the exposure, the curl is not important for development in the tray.
So: no, strong curl on opening isn’t ideal, but yes, you can still work with the paper successfully if you print it in an easel.
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