Dear Platinum/Palladium Printers,

I have the following issues with my prints:
1.) All prints show tiny crystal-like shapes all over the print.
2.) The blacks are fibrous and rather dark-brownish.
3.) The negative base can’t be “printed through” regardless of the exposure time.

The prints where made under the following conditions:
- Method: Malde/Ware Print-out FE1/Pd 1:1
- Negative used: Delta 100 developed in Tanol Speed (Staining developer by Wolfgang Moersch)
- Coated area: 8x10 inch
- Sensitizer volume: 1.5ml
- Tried the following additives each 0.05ml
o Tween 20 15% v/v
o Glycerin 15% v/v
o Tween 20 & Glycerin
- Ambient Condition: 35% RH at 20° C
- Tried these three different Pre-coat Hydration methods:
o Humidity Chamber at 52% RH for one Hour
o Hanged in a cabinet for 10 minutes over a tray of boiled water
o Hanged in a cabinet for 60 minutes at 40% RH
- Tested Papers: Arches Platine on both sides and Hahnemuehle Platinum Rag on both sides
- Coating Method: Glass Rod in 4-6 passes
- Ambient drying time: 5min
- Post coating humidification: Humidity Chamber at 52% RH for 60min - 120min
- Exposure time around 40 minutes with 16 UV LED Banks (30cm length, spaced out 5mm, distribution angle 120°, 15cm distance to print surface) 9W each with a wavelength of 390nm-400nm

Since the three issues show up regardless of additive added to the sensitizer, humidification times and paper brand I assume the issue must be related to the way I prepared the chemicals. When I made the palladium solution, I added 30% of the ammonium chloride to the palladium chloride after I had mixed the palladium chloride already with 70% of the ammonium chloride because of a calculation mistake. Also, the sensitizer (Palladium solution mixed with FE1) shows tiny crystals in the bottle that I have to dissolve before every use despite a constant ambient temperature of around 20°C.

Question: Is this batch of Palladium Solution lost because of my mistake in the sequence of mixing the solution or did I oversee a potential mistake in coating the paper that would explain my three issues above?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Maximilian