DESCRIPTION KODAK POLYMAX II RC Paper is a fast, selective contrast, black-and-white enlarging paper with a resin coated base. It is an improved version of KODAK POLYMAX RC Paper, which it replaces. 
This new medium-weight paper features a wide contrast range and a neutral-black image tone. It is useful for a variety of applications such as advertising, aerial, commercial, education, finishing, industrial, law enforcement, mapping, medical, military, photo hobbyist, and photojournalism. 
POLYMAX II RC Paper is intended for tray (dish) and roller-transport, rack-and-tank, or continuous machine processors using conventional developers. This paper may also be processed in activation processors such as the KODAK ROYALPRINT Processor, Model 417. 
BASE AND SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS 
 

Symbol	Texture	Surface	Base  Tint	Base  Weight
F*	Smooth	Glossy	White	MW
N	Smooth	Semi-Matt	White	MW
E	Fine-Grain	Lustre	White	MW

    * Do not ferrotype. This paper dries with a natural gloss to the emulsion 
surface without ferrotyping. 

 

FEATURES	BENEFITS
Very rich blacks	Intense saturated blacks, especially when dried using infrared dryers
Excellent image quality	Extremely sharp prints
Excellent highlight tone reproduction	Readily separates details in highlights
Excellent separation of dark tones	Readily separates details in shadows
Excellent process latitude	Accommodates an extremely wide range of times and temperatures with consistently good results
Minimal product variability	Outstanding manufacturing uniformity from edge to edge and box to box  Long shelf life
Excellent D-min	Clean, brilliant, neutral whites Optically brightened support and emulsion
Neutral image tone	A neutral image-neither warm nor cold
Rich color with KODAK Sepia Toner	Provides a traditional sepia tone
Extremely good post- processing life	Long print life  Excellent print stability Highest-quality resin- coated (base) support
Nominal "white light" grade number of 2.5	Designed to print most negatives without filtration at maximum speed  Improves printer productivity
Wide contrast range	Accommodates a wide range of negative contrasts
Processable in the KODAK ROYALPRINT Processor, Model 417	Rapid processing
Specially stabilized support	Neutralizes yellowing effects of incorporated developer migration; paper stays white
Resin-coated, water- resistant base	Rapid processing without edge penetration, fast drying, minimum curl

 

SAFELIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS 
Use a KODAK OC Safelight Filter (light amber) in a suitable safelight lamp with a bulb of 15 watts or less at least 4 feet ( 1.2 metres) from the paper. Minimize safelight exposure to avoid unwanted quality changes. Be especially careful if you use other types of safelights. 
Note: Do not use a KODAK OA Safelight Filter (greenish yellow). See KODAK Publication No. K-4, How Safe Is Your Safelight?, for information on safelight testing. 

STORAGE AND HANDLING 
Store paper in a cool, dry place (preferably at or below 70F [21 C] and at a relative humidity of 30 to 50 percent). High temperature or high humidity may produce undesirable changes. Always rewrap unused paper in its original packaging (the outer box as well as the bag) to protect it from light and moisture. Avoid or shield the paper from exposure to radioactivity or x-rays. 

EXPOSURE 
Light Sources 
Expose this paper with tungsten or tungsten-halogen enlarger lamps, and automatic printers. You can use other light sources, such as cool-white fluorescent lamps or mercury-vapor lamps, or cathode-ray tubes, but you may need to use correction filters in addition to the filters for contrast control. For best results, make test prints to determine the optimum filtration for each light source. 
If you use a subtractive color-head enlarger with dichroic filters, magenta and yellow filtration may not be sufficient to achieve the highest and lowest contrast the paper can deliver. In this circumstance, if the white light mode is available, use POLYMAX 5+ and -I Filters. 
Suggested starting-point filtration for other light sources is listed below. Make a test print to determine the optimum filtration for each light source. 
 

Enlarging Lamp	KODAK Color  Compensating Filter or  KODAK Color Printing Filter
Cool white fluorescent	CP4OY or CC4OY
Daylight fluorescent	CP7OY or CC7OY

Note: Use optical-grade gelatin KODAK Color Compensating (CC) Filters between the negative and the paper. Use acetate KODAK Color Printing (OP) Filters between the light source and the negative. 
   
 
 
Filters 
To achieve the widest possible contrast range with this paper, use KODAK POLYMAX Filters. These filters provide twelve contrast increments with improved contrast spacing with this paper. Use the low-number filters 
(-1 to 31h) for contrasty negatives or to lower the contrast overall. No exposure adjustment is required when changing from one filter to another within this range. With flat negatives or to raise the contrast, use the higher-number filters (4 to 5+). Using filters in this range will require twice the exposure. 
You can use the POLYMAX Filter Set above or below the enlarger lens. The POLYMAX Filter Kit is similar to the set except it's mounted in plastic filter mounts. You can use these filters below the enlarger lens. They are supplied in a hinged plastic box with a filter holder and adapters to fasten the holder to the red filter post or to the lens. 
If you already have the 11-filter KODAK POLYCONTRAST II Filter Kits or Sets, you can upgrade your set by purchasing two new filters (POLYMAX Filters -1 and 5+). Add the POLYMAX Filter-1 to your current set of POLYCONTRAST II Filters, and substitute the POLYMAX 5+ Filter for the old POLYCONTRAST II Filter 5. You can also use other manufacturers' filters with this paper, but results may not be the same. For critical applications, make tests to determine the paper contrast. 
The filter kit, filter sets, and filter upgrade sets (to upgrade the former POLYCONTRAST II Filters to the newer POLYMAX Filters) are available from dealers who supply Kodak professional products. See the following tables for the correct catalog numbers. Contact Kodak if you need more information. 

 

Filter Kit and Sets  
KODAK POLYMAX Filters (12 filters)

Filter Kit   CAT 365 6212

Filter Set  (90 x 90 mm)  CAT 365 7699

Filter Sets  (150 x 150 mm) CAT 366 1949; 300 x 350 mm)  CAT 365 7798*

       
 

Upgrade Sets 
KODAK POLYMAX Filters-1 and 5+ (2 filters) 
to upgrade the former 11-filter 
KODAK POLYCONTRAST II 
Kits and Setst

Upgrade Set  CAT 365 4779  (to upgrade  former Filter Kit)

Upgrade Set  CAT 364 9027  (to upgrade  former Filter Set  [90 x 90 mm])

Upgrade Set  CAT 366 0677  (to upgrade  former Filter Set  (150 x 150 mm)

*Special order   
tMade before May 1992  

ISO PAPER SPEED AND RANGE 
Note: The numbers for Paper Range indicate the relative ISO ranges of different contrasts produced with KODAK POLYMAX Filters. The ranges were calculated from the log exposure ranges of the paper. Use them as a guide for selecting the appropriate paper contrast for the density range of a specific negative. When the ISO range of the paper approximately equals 100 times the density range of the negative, the contrast of the print will usually be satisfactory. (For convenience, the log exposure ranges have been multiplied by 100 so that the ISO ranges are expressed as whole numbers.) The contrast you choose will also depend on the nature of the subject. 

FILTRATION VALUES FOR COMMON BLACK-AND-WHITE AND COLOR ENLARGERS 

The contrast of selective grade papers is adjustable through changes in the color of the light exposing the paper. Because enlarger lamps and filters can vary from one manufacturer or model to the next, the contrast performance of 
POLYMAX II RC Paper can also vary depending upon the equipment used. 
ANSI standards define a contrast method called "Log Exposure Range" (LER). Kodak relates LER to paper grade numbers to classify seven degrees of contrast. You can use the information in the following chart as a guide for selecting the filtration required to achieve a desired paper grade when printing with some commonly available color and black and-white enlargers. 

 F Surface 

KODAK POLYMAX Filter

N   Filter

-1

0

1/2

1

11/2

2

21/2

3

31/2

4

41/2

5+

KODAK POLYMAX   RT Developer and   Replenisher

Paper Speed

P500

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P125

P125

P125

paper Range

R100

R140

R140

R130

R120

R120

R110

R110

R90

R80

R70

R60

R50

KODAK DEKTOL  Developer

Paper Speed

P500

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P125

P125

P125

PaperRange

R100

R140

R140

R130

R130

R120

R120

R110

R100

R80

R70

R50

R40

KODAK  ROYALPRINT  Processor,  Model4l7

PaperSpeed

P400

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P100

P100

P100

paper Range

R110

R160

R150

R140

R130

R130

R120

R110

R100

R90

R70

R60

R50

N Surface 
 

KODAK POLYMAX Filter

No  Filter

-1

0

1/2

1

11/2

2

21/2

3

31/2

4

41/2

5+

KODAK POLYMAX  RT Developer and  Replenisher

Paper Speed

P500

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P125

P125

P125

paperRange

R90

R120

R120

R120

R110

R110

R100

R100

R90

R80

R60

R50

R40

KODAK DEKTOL  Developer

Paper Speed

P500

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P125

P125

P125

PaperRange

R90

R130

R130

R120

R110

R110

R110

R100

R90

R80

R60

R40

R40

KODAK  ROYALPRINT  Processor,  Model4l7

PaperSpeed

P400

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P100

P100

P100

paperRange

R100

R140

R140

R130

R130

R120

R120

R110

R100

R80

R70

R60

R50

E Surface 

KODAK POLYMAX Filter

No  Filter

-1

0

1/2

1

11/2

2

21/2

3

31/2

4

41/2

5+

KODAK POLYMAX  RT Developer and  Replenisher

Paper Speed

P500

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P320

P125

P125

P125

paper Range

R110

R140

R140

R130

R120

R120

R110

R110

R100

R80

R70

R60

R50

KODAK DEKTOL  Developer

Paper Speed

P500

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P250

P125

P125

P125

Paper Range

R110

R140

R140

R130

R120

R120

R110

R110

R110

R80

R70

R60

R50

KODAK  ROYALPRINT  Processor,  Model4l7

PaperSpeed

P400

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P200

P100

P100

P100

paper Range

R100

R150

R140

R140

R130

R130

R120

R120

R100

R90

R70

R60

R50

Note: KODAK POLYMAX RT Developer and Replenisher for 15 seconds at 100F (37.8C) 
KODAK DEKTOL Developer (1 :2) for 60 seconds at 68F (20C) 

The age of the lamp and the condition of the enlarger and filters can affect the contrast you will actually achieve. Use the data in the chart as a starting point only. If you cannot obtain as high a contrast as indicated in the chart, examine the light filter mixing chamber. This chamber often yellows with age, imparting a permanent low-contrast bias to the enlarger. Replace the chamber's lining as appropriate with fresh white material. If you still cannot obtain as high a contrast as indicated, you may have to replace the magenta filter. Compared to yellow filters, magenta filters are more susceptible to fading caused by heat. 
The data for the chart was generated by placing a step tablet in contact with the paper on the easel. Slightly different results are obtained using a step tablet at the negative gate. 

KODAK POLYMAX II RC Paper 
Grade Numbers for Various Enlargers 
KODAK POLYMAX IR Processor, 15 sec. in 
KODAK POLYMAX RT Developer and Replenisher, 100F (38C) 
 


Examples: With a DEVERE DICHROMAT 504 Enlarger (color head), you can obtain paper grade 1 with 44Y dichroic filtration. To obtain paper grade 4, dial in 36M filtration. 
With the same enlarger, if you dial out all filtration to give white light, using a POLYMAX 4 Filter will yield paper grade 4.5. 

PROCESSING 
Machine Processing 
For rapid processing of this paper, you can use the KODAK POLYMAX IR Paper Processor, KODAK DEKTOMATIC 65 Paper Processor, and the KODAK ROYALPRINT Processor, Model 417, as well as other roller-transport and continuous processors that use conventional developers. 
For mechanized processors using conventional developers, we recommend: 

 

Processor	Developer	Fixer
Roller-Transport,  Rack-and-Tank,  Continuous	KODAK  POLYMAX RT  Developer and  Replenisher	KODAK  POLYMAX RT  Fixer and  Replenisher  OR  KODAK Rapid  Fixer, Solution A

For activation processing, we recommend: 
 

Processor	Chemicals
KODAK ROYALPRINT  Processor, Model 417	KODAK ROYALPRINT  Activator,  KODAK ROYALPRINT  Stop Bath, and  KODAK ROYALPRINT  Fixer and Replenisher

   

Tray Processing 
Tray process with continuous agitation at 68F (20C), using the appropriate dilution and development time recommended in the table. 
 

KODAK  Chemical	Dilution  (chemical:  water)	Time  (min:sec)	Capacity  (8 x 10-inch  Prints  per gal/L)
Developer--68 F {20 C)
POLYMAX T	1:9	1:00	120/32
DEKTOL (power)	1:2	1:00	120/32
DEKTOL (liquid)*	1:9	1:00	120/32
EKTONOL	1:3	1:30	120/32
D-72 (formula)	1:2	1:00	100/26
Stop Bath-,65 to 75 F (18 to 24 C)
Indicator	1:63	0:10	80/20t
EKTAFLO	1:31	0:10	80/20t
Fixer/Replenilsher (single bath)$--,65 to 75 F {I8 to 24 C)
Nonhardening fixer (for general printing and for toning):
Rapid Fixer,  Solution A (do not  use Solution B)	1:7	2:00	100/26
Hardening fixers (for general printing):#
KODAK Fixer	-	2:00	100/26
POLYMAX T	1:7	2:00	100/26
Rapid Fixer  (Solution A and B)	1:7	2:00	100/26
KODAFIX Solution	1:7	2:00	100/26
Wash -50 to 86 (10 to :30 C)
	-	4:00	-

 * Provides greater development latitude. 
t Discard the solution when color changes to a purplish blue. 
$ To increase capacity, use two fixing baths. 
# Using a hardening fixer makes toning less efficient. For the same 
amount of processing time, you'll see less of a toning effect. 

Stop Bath 
Bathe prints for at least 10 seconds at 65 to 75F ( 18 to 24C) with continuous agitation in KODAK EKTAFLO Stop Bath, KODAK Indicator Stop Bath, or 48 mL KODAK 28% Acetic Acid and water to make 1 L. 
With EKTAFLO or Indicator Stop Bath, discard the solution when the color changes to purplish blue. Change Acetic Acid and water stop bath after approximately twenty 8 x 10-inch prints per litre (eighty 8 x lOs per gallon). 

Fixing 
Fix prints at 65 to 75F (18 to 24C) with frequent agitation. With KODAK POLYMAX T Fixer, KODAK Rapid Fixer, or KODAFIX Solution, fix for 2 minutes if you use a single bath. If you use two fixing baths, fix prints for 1 minutes in each bath, draining for 5 seconds between baths. 
Note: Using a hardening fixer makes toning less efficient. For the same amount of processing time, you' 11 see less of a toning effect. 

Washing 
Wash for at least 4 minutes in running water at 50 to 86F (I0 to 30C), interleaving the prints carefully and frequently. 
Avoid prolonged fixing or washing times to realize all advantages of this water-resistant base, and to minimize physical damage, edge penetration, and curl. 

Drying 
Remove excess water from the front and back of prints with a clean squeegee, soft viscose sponge, or lintless blotter. Air dry prints at room temperature or with warm air, or use a dryer intended for resin-coated papers. 
Ferrotyping (glazing) prints is not recommended. You can use ferrotype dryers (glazers) at temperatures below 190F (88C) if you place the print's base side against the drum or platten surface. 
NOTICE: The sensitometric curves and data in this publication represent product tested under the conditions of exposure and processing specified. They are representative of production coatings, and therefore do not apply directly to a particular box or roll of photographic material. They do not represent standards or specifications that must be met by Eastman Kodak Company. The company reserves the right to change and improve product at any time. 

TONING 
Treatment with a toner extends the life of prints that may be exposed to oxidizing gases or subjected to adverse storage or display conditions. KODAK Toners will protect prints whether or not they produce a tone shift. 
 

Processing	Tone Shift with KODAK Toners
	Full	Moderate	Slight	None*
Tray  (KODAK  DEKTOL  Developer)	Brown  (1:19)	POLY-TONER  (1:4)  (1:24)  (1:50)	Rapid  Selenium  (1:3)  (1:9)  (1:20)	Rapid  Selenium  (1:40)
	Sepia t

* Recommended for print protection. No color change. 
t KODAK Sepia Toner will lighten print density during toning. To tone this paper in Sepia Toner, make your prints significantly darker than normal. Make an initial series of test prints to determine how much extra density you'll need for this paper with a given developer. 
For more information on toning, see KODAK Publication G-23, Toning KODAK Black-and-White Materials. It explains the technique of toning, and describes Kodak toners and their effects on Kodak black-and-white papers and films. 

RETOUCHING 
Although KODAK Liquid Retouching Colors 
(CAT 190 1743, Set of 9 liquid dyes) are intended primarily for color prints, you can use the Neutral (CAT 190 2378) dye to retouch black-and-white prints, or mix the colored dyes to match toned black-and-white prints. 
To correct or eliminate spots or scratches, add density to the area using KODAK Liquid Retouching Color, Neutral (CAT 190 2378). If the Neutral dye color does not completely match, adjust the color by adding small amounts of either Red (CAT 190 2246) or Cyan (CAT 190 2345) Liquid Retouching Color to "warm" or "cool" the tone. Note: The Kodak materials described in this publication for use the KODAK POLYMAX II RC Paper are available from dealers who supply Kodak professional products. You can use other materials, but you may not obtain similar results. 

MORE INFORMATION 
Kodak has many publications to assist you with information on Kodak products, equipment, and materials. The following publications are available from Kodak through the order form in KODAK Publication No. L-1, KODAK Index to Photographic Information. To obtain a copy of L-1, send your request with $ 1 to Eastman Kodak Company, Department 412-L, Rochester, New York 14650-0532. 
E-67 Finishing Prints on KODAK Water-Resistant Papers 
F-2 Pathways to Black and White 
G-23 Toning KODAK Black-and-White Materials K-4 How Safe Is Your Safelight? 
The following book is available from photo-specialty dealers who sell Kodak products: 
R-20 KODAK Black-and-White DATAGUIDE