color printing: balance

another caution regarding forum advice.
a question arose– wondering what adjustment to make to remove color from borders!
a dozen experts later, no one has told him that the border should be base emulsion color… close to white for most color emulsions, or to black for reversal emulsion.
a color tone is fog… don’t balance for fog… change process method.

fog:
emulsion age. darkroom unsafe(light). chemical contamination. chemical activity.. mix, or temperature error.

stop futzing with balance until you’re in control of those other factors.