Page 30 - The Wellington photographic handbook

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Few people varnish their negatives and for ordinary work
on WELLINGTON papers, there will be found little need for
this operation. Varnishing, however, should be regarded as
essential in the case of negatives that are to be kept for a long
period or from which many prints are likely to be required.

TO TEST THE SUITABILITY OF LIGHT AND
DEVELOPER.
When the negative is finished and dry, it may be placed film
downwards on a piece of white paper. Those parts which were
protected by the edges of the sheath or dark slide, and so received
no exposure to light in the camera, should only be very lightly
greyed over. If the plate was unbacked the edges where they
come against the sky are almost sure to be greyed, but the other
edges where they border on the landscape, and particularly on
shadows, ought to be quite clean. If there is anything like a
notable deposit on them, that is to say, if the edges are not nearly
clear glass, it is a sign that the plate has been fogged from one or
more of the following causes :
An unsafe dark-room light.
Undue exposure of the plate to the dark-room light during
development or when loading the slides. (A light,
perfectly safe if used with care, will often cause fog in
the hands of a worker who exposes his plates recklessly
during manipulation.)
An unsuitable developer.
The use of the developer at too high a temperature. (From 60°
to 65° Fahr. is a good temperature for development, and
although WELLINGTON plates will stand warmer
solutions than this, it is better to err on the safe side.)
Whether correctly or incorrectly exposed the plate should pass
this test. Every batch of WELLINGTON Plates before it
leaves the factory is thoroughly tested, and found clean working,
and the simple trial mentioned in this paragraph will enable the
beginner to make sure that his light and solutions are correct.
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