CURRENT INFORMATION SUMMARY
Supplement ary Information on
KODAK EKTAMAX RA
Professional Paper
March 2000 • CIS-144
November 1998 • CIS-164
March 2000 • CIS-144
KODAK EKTAMAX RA Professional Paper uses colored
dyes to form black-and-whi te images in prints made from
color and black- and-white negatives. It is des igned for
processing in KODAK EKTACOLOR RA Chemicals for
Process RA-4 along with color negative papers.
The information in this publication supplements the
information provid ed in the instruction shee t and in KODAK
Publication No. G-22 , KODAK E KTAMAX RA Prof ession al
Paper.
CHARACTERISTICS AND APPLICATIONS
Suggested uses for EKTAMAX RA Professional Paper
include interm ediat e appli cations for graphic s repr oductio n,
displays, re al-estate brochures, publications, press releas es ,
and portrait proofs. The paper may also be acceptable for
other applications in which long-ter m display and keeping
are not required. In applications that require archival or
long-term keepi ng or complete image ne utrality , a tradit ional
black-and-white paper is a better choice.
STORAGE AND HANDLING
Store unexpos ed paper at 13°C (55°F) or lower in the
original s ealed packa ge. High t emperature s or high h umidity
may produced undesi rable photog raphic cha nges. St orage of
unexposed paper at room temperature will produce a hue
shift over time (see “Effects of Storage Conditions”).
Avoid moisture conden sa tion by removing the package
from cold storage the day before printing.
Handle paper carefully by the edges. The paper is
packaged with the emulsion side of all sheets facing in the
same direction. For complete light and moisture protection,
use the inn er bag an d the two-p art c ardboard box to s tore the
paper.
EXPOSURE RECOMMENDATIONS
The spectral sensitivity and printing speed of KODAK
EKTAMAX RA Professional Paper are designed to be the
same as those of KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA,
SUPRA, and ULTRA Papers. Therefore, printing
EKTAMAX RA Paper should be very similar to printing
KODAK PROFESSIONAL Papers. If you are printing color
negatives and ha ve a ba lance setup for those color papers ,
you can use that setup for EKTAMAX RA Paper. An
adjustment of filtrati on from that balance wil l not change the
hue of EKTAMAX RA Paper, but it will cause a change in
contrast.
If you are printing black-and-white negatives onto
EKTAMAX RA Paper, two methods can pro vide suitable
results:
• Put a piece of processed D-min from KODAK
PROFESSIONAL PORTRA Film in the exposing beam
along with the filters you normally use to print color
negatives.
• To the filtration that you use to print color negatives,
add 35 units of magenta and 65 units of yellow filtration
to simulate a piece of film D-min.
If you do not have any processed D-min from
PROFESSIONAL PORTRA Film or a st art ing filter pack, a
filter pack of 80M + 110Y is a reasonable starting point.
LATENT-IMAGE KEEPING
You shou ld not notic e shif ts i n t he la te nt i ma ge w ith k ee ping
times from 1 m inute to 2 4 hours . Ther efore, you do n ot need
to change your print ing procedures to compensate for
latent-image shifts under normal temperature and handling
conditions . (If shifts do occur , you c an minimi ze their ef fect
by keeping the time between exposure and processing the
same for all paper.)
IMAGE HUE
The term “hue” usually doesn’t apply to untoned
black-and-white papers. However, this paper can exhibit
slight variations in hue becaus e it uses colored dye s t o form
images. When we use the te rm “hue” in this publication, we
are referring to the image tone (or image-tone neutrality) of
prints. We will use hue interchangeably with image tone to
describe images that vary slightly from neutral.
Those who view print s o n this paper e xpect t hem to appear
neutral. Therefore, viewers are more sensitive to hue
variations in prints on EKTAMAX RA Paper than they are
to hue variations in color prints.
The most likely contributor to hue variations is the color
quality of the viewing light. However, improper storage
conditions and some processing problems can also cause
variations in hue. (The references to hue in the following
sections a r e ba sed on tests made in the school-fini shing and
commercial markets.)
©Eastma n Kodak Compa ny, 2000
Effects of Viewing Conditions
Under certain types of illumination, the hue of prints on
EKTAMAX RA Paper can appear warm. A silver-based
black-and-white image reflects all frequencies of light
equally, so a slight deficiency in one color of the viewing
light will not have an adverse effect. A chromogenic
image—e. g., an image on E KT AMAX RA P aper—is f ormed
by dyes that have specific color absorption and ref lection
characteristics. Dyes do not reflect all frequencies of light
equally. Instead, they reflect only specific wavelengths of
red, green, and blue light. If a light source is slightly
deficient in green light, a chromogenic print may look very
pink (magenta) depending on the dye and the green-region
deficiency of the light source.
To evaluate and display prints, use light sources such as
tungsten and tungs ten halogen/quart z halogen. These light
sources provide a continuous frequency distribution of
energy in the visible spectrum, and the image will appear
neutral. Non-continuous light sources, such as mercury
vapor and some fluorescent tubes, can give the image a
slightly pink appearance.
A good average viewing c ondi tion is a light sourc e with a
color temperature of 5000 ± 1000 K, a Color Rendering
Index (CRI) of 85 to 100, and an illuminance of at least
50 footcandles (538 l ux). Fl uore scent la mps s uch a s t he c ool
white deluxe lamp (made by several manufacturers) meet
these conditi ons. You can also use warmer la mps, such as the
Phillips 50 00 K Ul tralume, or a mixtur e o f in candesc ent a nd
fluorescent lamps. For each pair of 40-watt cool white
deluxe fluorescent lamps, use a 75-watt frosted tungs ten
bulb. Your light source should meet the standards specified
in ANSI PH2.30-1989, Viewing Cond itions—Color Print s,
Transparencies, and Photomechanical Reproductions.
For consistenc y, labs s houl d alwa ys e valuate pri nt qualit y
under the same type of lighting conditions that will be used
for print viewing and display.
Effects of Storage Conditions
When kept under refrigerated conditions (13°C [55°F] or
lower), this pape r can age for 18 months and sti ll be within
limits for hue. As unexposed, unprocessed paper ages, its
hue moves in a green direction.
Room-temperature storage will accele rat e the agi ng
effe ct, an d wil l ca us e a cha nge in hu e. After thre e m onth s at
room temperature, the hue wil l be about ha lfway to the l imit,
but prints made on t he paper will still be acceptable. After six
months at room temperature, the hue will be close to the
limit, and you will notice a hue in prints.
Effects of Processing Problems
Severe developer oxidation or low pr oce ssor utilization will
produce a slightly pink (magenta) hue in images on
EKTAMAX RA Paper. Extreme contaminatio n of the
developer wit h blea ch-fix wi ll produce a gree n hue s hif t and
a green D-min. In most cases, a process condition that causes
a noticeabl e hue shift will also yiel d unacceptable results
with KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA, SUPRA, and
ULTRA Papers, and will be evident in control-strip plots.
The one condition tha t proces s controls s trips do not show
very well is the formation of leuco cyan dye. With color
papers, a slight level of leuco cyan dye can be tole rated in
prints, a nd wil l sho w up i n the c ontr ol p lots t o a ve ry limi ted
degree. However, even low le vels of leuco cyan dye can
cause a red hu e in images on EK TA M A X RA P a pe r .
The following section, “Process Troubleshooting,”
describes ways to avoid and correct process problems that
cause a hue shift in EKTAMAX RA Paper.
PROCESS TROUBLESHOOTING
Images on EKTAMAX RA Professional Paper that have a
noticeable hue may indicate that your process has a
developer or a bleach-fix problem.
Important
Before making any changes t o your proce ss, be sure that you
are using the appropr ia te lig ht sour ce t o vi ew the print s. An
apparent hue shift ma y be rel ated to viewing conditions .
Identify ing th e Problem
Follow the st eps below to identif y the cause of a hue shift:
1. Check for high developer activity (e.g.,
If the image
tone is cold
If the image
tone is warm
If the image
tone is pink
(magenta)
If the image
tone is red*
* You can u se the KODAK Color P r int Vie w ing Filter Kit to differentiate
between pi nk and red. If pri nts l ook better through the cyan filter than
through the green filter, the hue is red. You can suspect that leuco cyan
dye is pr esent.
*
high repl enishment rat e, high temper ature,
contamination of the developer by
bleach-fix, etc.)
2. Check control plots.
1. Check for leuco cyan dye (follow
procedure outlined below); if none is
present, proceed to Step 2. If leuco cyan
dye is present, see “Leuco cyan dye/low
bleach-fix pH.”
2. Identify the image tone as pink or red.
a. Check fo r l o w d eveloper acti vity (e.g., low
utilization, low replenishment, high
oxidation, etc.); if none is present,
proceed to Step b.
b. Check for excess developer in the
bleach-fix (excessive carryover or low
bleach-fix replenishment).
a. Recheck for leuco cyan dye.
2 Supplementary Information on KODAK EKTAMAX RA Professio nal Paper • CIS-144
Procedure to Confirm Leuco Cyan Dye. If you suspect
that leuco cyan dye is the cause of a red im age ton e, you c an
bleach a processed print in FLEXICOLOR Bleach III
Replenish er to confirm a leuco cyan dye condition. Follow
this procedu re:
1. Choose a print with a neutral densit y between 1.20 and
2.00 (1.60 to 1.80 is bes t). Take density readings of
specific are as on the print and mark the spot s so th at you
can take compari s on readings after bleaching the print.
2. Immerse the print in FLEXICOLOR Bleach III
Replenisher solution at 21°C (70°F) for 2 minutes.
3. Rinse the print for 1 minute in running water at 21 to
43.3°C (70 to 110°F).
4. After rinsing the print, run it through the last wash and
the dryer of the same proces sor used to process the print
the first time. It is important to achiev e the same surface
gloss, because the gloss will affect the densi ty rea ding.
After bleaching, washing, and drying, read the red an d
green densit ies in the ar eas you m arked. Subt ract the original
red and green densities of the print from the red and green
density readings of the print after bleaching. Then subtract
the green densit y diff erence from the red dens ity diffe rence .
If the answer is greater than 0.10, leuco cyan dye is
confirmed.
Example:
Red Green
Density after
bleaching
Original density 1.75
Difference 0.15 0.04
1.90 1.84
1.80
Because the red density difference minus the green
density difference is greater than 0.10 (0.15 – 0.04 = 0.11),
the test confirm s that leuco cyan dye is the problem.
Correcting Process Problems
Follow the appropriate procedure below to correct the
process problem identified in the preceding section.
High deve lo per activity
High activi ty may be due to a high re plenishmen t rate, a high
temperature, or bleach-fix contamination of the developer.
When you have identified the cause of the condition, make
adjustments to correct it.
Excess developer in the bleach-fix/
high bleach-fix pH
Excessive amounts of developer in the bleach-fix may be
due to inefficient squeegees in the developer or low
bleach-fix repleni shment. Any cond ition tha t allows the pH
of the bleach-fix to increase can produce a slightly pink
image tone.
These conditi ons are no t generall y reflect ed in the c ontrol
plots, but you can correct them by reducing the pH of the
bleach-fix. Add KODAK EKTACOLOR RA Bleach-Fix
and Replenisher NR, Part C, or glacial acetic acid (see the
following table).
Caution
Before making changes to the bleach-fi x, verify that the pi nk
hue is not caused by a developer activity problem. Check
your developer repleni shment rate, processor uti lization,
and control plot s. Overuse of t he following pre scription wil l
cause leuco cyan d ye problems. Be sure to very that t he pink
hue is not developer-related before applying this
prescription.
Addition of KODAK EKTACOLOR RA Bleach-Fix and
Replenisher NR, Part C, or Glacial Acetic Acid
If your processor
uses
EKTACOLOR RA
Bleach-Fix and
Replenisher
EKTACOLOR RA
Bleach-Fix and
Repl enishe r NR
Add the appropriate am ount of EKTACOLOR RA
Bleach - F i x and Re pl en i sh er N R , P art C , or glacial aceti c
acid to the bleach-fix tank. Allow the soluti on to mi x
thoroughly, and the n pr oce ss some test prints. If the pink
cast is reduced but not eliminated, repeat the prescription
once. If the pink cast does not change, do not re peat the
prescription. If a pink hue remains after you apply the
prescription a second time, it is likely that your process has
a developer problem or that your viewing conditions are
inadequate (recheck tha t you are using the appropria te light
source).
Add this amount of EKTACOLOR RA
Bleach-F i x a nd Replenisher N R, Part C,
or glacial acetic acid
2.0 mL/L of tank volume
2.2 mL/L of tank volume
Low developer activity
Low activit y may b e due to low processor utilization, a low
replenish ment rate, or high oxidatio n. You can notice this
condition in your control plots. In addition to having a
slightly pi nk hue, pri nts on EKTAMAX RA Paper will have
a “muddy” upper scale. When you have identif ied the cause
of the condition, make adjustments to correct it.
Supplementary Information on KODAK EKTAMAX RA Professional Paper • CIS-144 3
Supplementary Information on KODAK EKTAMAX RA Profes sional Paper
Leuco cyan dye/low bleach-fix pH
Leuco cyan dye is due to a low pH in the ble ac h-fix caused
by a high replenishment rate or incorrect start-up (fresh tank )
mixing procedure. It results in a warm reddish image tone
due to so me of the c yan dye b eing conve rted into an i nvisible
state. Leuco cya n dye conditions that cause problems with
color pape r are a lso refl ected in control pl ots (the black patch
tends to have a lower red density than green and blue).
EKTAMAX RA Paper will generally alert you to this
condition before you see it on color paper production or in
your control plots.
You can correct this problem by increasing the pH of the
bleach-fix. Add KODAK EKTACOLOR RA Developer
Starter, CAT 102 6681, or KODAK EKTACOLOR RA
Bleach-Fix Desilvering Concentrate, CAT 844 4572,
according to the following table.
Caution
Before making changes to the bleach-fix , verify that the hue
is red (indicati ng low cyan dye) and not pink (indi cating high
magenta dye). Overus e of this prescription will cause other
bleach-fix prob lems.
Addition of KODAK EKTACOLOR RA Developer Starter
If your processor
EKTACOLOR RA
EKTACOLOR RA
Repl enishe r NR
Note: When you add develop er s tarter to the bleach-fix,
foaming will occur. Turn off the bleach-fix recirculation
system and add the start er very slowly . Wait several minute s
for any foaming to dissipate before turning the recirculation
pumps on. You may want to conside r removing some
bleach-fix fro m your working tank and adding the starter to
that solution to avoid any chance of the bleach-fix foaming
over and contami nating yo ur develo per tank . Slowl y stir t he
starter into the bleach-fix s olution, wait for any foaming to
dissipate, then slowly return the solution to your bleach-fix
tank.
or KODAK EKTACOLOR RA Bleach-Fix
Desilvering Concentrate
Add this amount of EKTACOLOR RA
uses
Bleach-Fix and
Replenisher
Bleach-Fix and
Developer Starter or EKTACOLOR RA
Bleach-Fix Desilvering Concentrate
12.0 mL/L of tank volume
22.0 mL/L of tank volume
After you apply this prescription, allow the solution to
circulate for 15 to 20 minut es, and then process some test
prints. If the red hue is reduced but no t eliminate d, repeat the
prescription once. If the red hue does not change, do not
repeat the prescr iption. If the red hue remains after you
apply the prescription a second t im e, your process proba bly
has a developer problem or your vi ewing conditions are
inade qu ate (be sur e th at you are us in g th e ap p r opr i at e light
source).
To prevent leuco cyan dye problems, follow the
recommended start-up procedure and replenish your
bleach-fix correctly to ensu r e that the pH of th e b leach- f ix
will r e main in th e re c o m m e n ded rang e .
Note: If you use EKTACOLOR RA Bleach -Fix and
Replenisher NR to prepare a fresh tank solution, add only
one-half the normal amount of P art C to the mix. If you use
EKTACOLOR RA Bl ea ch-Fi x a nd Repl eni s her to p repar e a
fresh tank solution, add 22 mL/L of ta nk volume of KODAK
EKTACOLOR Developer Starter, CAT 102 6681, to the
mix.
For the latest version of technical support publications for
KODAK PROFESSIONAL Products, visit Kodak on-line at:
http://www.kodak.com/go/professional
Many technical support publications for
KODAK PROFES SIO NA L Pr odu cts can be s ent to your
fax machine from the Kodak Information Center. Call:
U.S. 1-800-242-2424, Ext. 33 / Canada 1-800-295-5531
—Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—
If you have questions about KODAK PROFESSIONAL
Products, call Kodak.
In the U.S.A.:
1-800-242-2424, Ext. 19, Monday–Friday
9 a.m.–7 p.m. (Eastern time)
In Canada:
1-800-465-6325, Monday–Friday
8 a.m.–5 p.m. (Eastern time)
Supplementary Information on
KODAK EKTAMAX RA Professional
Paper
KODAK Publication No. CIS-144
Kodak, Kodak Professional, Ektacolor, Ektama x,
Flexicolor, Portra, Supra, and Ultra, are trademarks.
Minor Revision 3-00
Printed in U.S.A.
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