Well, I consider myself to be a fairly good printer. But using more and more often viradon, I recognised problems with stains on the final print. I do as follows: develop, stop 30 sec in 2 % acid, fixing in two baths for 1 and 5 minutes (Ilford Hypam 1+4 and 1+20), 5 minutes washing, 10 minutes hypoclearing agent, 1 hour washing, toning in viradon, 5 minutes washing, 5 minutes 1 % Soda, 1 hour washing. After toning, hypo clearing agent and washing in a vertical Nova-Barytwasher, my prints have on the gelatine surface a "fishy"-staining-fog with rainbowcolors to be seen especially on the dark parts of the prints. This can be rubbed of in part by hand while wet, but there are allways fog-stains remaining after drying. I wonder where this comes from, because there are some prints that have more fog than others. Do I have to take the prints longer into the stop bath, ore shorter ( I leave them 30 sec. at 2 % acid) - or must the concentration be higher, ore it to be more often be anewed? Or do I have to leave out the hypoclearing after fixing the prints before washing and than toning? I do not have this fishy stains when I do not tone. Thanks for your answers. Sascha

-- Sascha Milkereit (fr7c101@zrvi.jura1.uni-hamburg.de), December 17, 1998

Answers

stains

You might try just washing after the toning with no hypo clear. Also instead of toning right after the development wash try toning a print that has already been dry for awhile. I have used Viradon with no problem but I don't use a clearing agent after the toning.

-- andy laycock (agl@intergate.bc.ca), December 17, 1998.