I've been paying very close attention to the discussion about fixers and washing times lately. As a printer who believes wholeheartedly in toning as a necessary and integral part of the process, I've also been paying close attention to the problem of stains. I don't claim to be a scientist, but I do have some experience. Like many printers, I'm sure, I went through a period where I battled stains when toning. So for the record, let me throw this out for discussion. I fix my prints for seven minutes and thirty seconds using the Zone VI fixer. (Zone VI fixer also works great for film because there is a minimal amount of curling.)I might also mention that I keep a record of how many prints go through a gallon of fixer. Generally, I toss a jug of fixer out when I have run approximately 25 11x14's through it. From the fixer tray the prints go into the (Kodak) hypo clearing agent tray for seven or eight minutes. Then the print goes into the Calumet Archival Print Washer (water is running at low pressure at this point). Once the final print of a session is in the washer, I set my timer for sixty minutes and wash (and increase the pressure). Toning sessions are done in a separate session. (Dry) prints are immersed in water for 10 minutes, followed by a soak for 5 minutes in pure hypo. Toning is next in selenium 1:7. Times depend on paper, print, and desired effect. Following the toner, the prints go into the hypo clearing agent for the usual seven or eight minutes. Same process as a printing session follows with the washing. To sum up, since I have been following this procedure, stains are nonexistent. So now that I've thrown my cards down on the table, I would really like to hear from others what I may or may not be doing right. Am I in the ball park by making the claim that my prints are processed correctly? And here's the big one: Can I claim that my prints are processed up to standards for archival preservation?

-- Tom Schumacher (tlschuma@orotech.net), July 27, 1999

Answers

-->Generally, I toss a jug of fixer out when I have run approximately 25 11x14's through it

Wow. After diluting my Iford Rapid fixer 1:4, and putting the total of 35 fl. oz. in the tray, I then fix about 10-15 prints with this much fixer, the nthrow it out. It seems you use a lot more fixer than I do. It seems, therefore, I may be underfixing. If your way is correct, I might just start using my Cibachrome container and put a set amount of fixer in for each print, on a one-shot basis. Otherwise, I follow Ilford's reccomendations, save a much longer final wash.

-- shawn gibson (shawn.gibson@utoronto.ca), July 27, 1999.

Your technique for fixing/toning/washing sounds good to me, except most experts agree that two fixers are better than one. Here are means of testing your film and prints. (1) To test for residual silver after fixing, mix up some Kodak Residual Silver Test Solution ST-1: 125 ml distilled water and 2g sodium sulfide (anhydrous). The solution keeps for 3 months in a stoppered bottle. To use: dilute 1 part stock solution with 9 parts distilled water. This working solution keeps for less than a week. To test place a drop of this solution on your fully processed, squeegeed film or paper and let it sit for 3 minutes, then blot it with a clean cloth or tissue. Any discoloration more than a barely-visible cream tint indicates that your film or paper still contains silver compounds that need to be removed by further fixing. (2) To test for residual fixer after washing, mix up some Kodak Hypo Test Solution HT-2: 750ml distilled water, 125ml 28% acetic acid, 7.5g silver nitrate crystals, and add distilled water to make 1 liter. Store in a brown bottle away from light. This stuff stains everything it touches, so don't splash it around. Squeegee your print and place a drop of this solution on the white border and let it sit for 2 minutes, then rinse. A poorly- washed print will produce a dark tea-colored stain. A properly-washed print will have only a very faint tea-colored stain, or none at all. Kodak sells a comparison strip called the Kodak Hypo Estimator for about $3 that will allow you to tell if you are in the ballpark. For testing film they recommend that you cut off a small clear portion and drop it in the solution for three minutes. Films should show very little or no discoloration.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edbuffaloe@unblinkingeye.com), July 28, 1999.

My own assumptions. How thick is the emulsion on a FB paper? How thick is the paper? How long does it take the fix to penetrate the emulsion vs the paper? Lumberjack

-- james (james_mickelson@hotmail.com), July 30, 1999.