What is the best way to wash 12x20 film? Can one use a standard archival 16x20 PRINT washer?

-- Richard J. Meisinger, Jr. (rjmeisinger@ucdavis.edu), April 17, 2001

Answers

A print washer is ok, but its exchange rate is quite slow by film washing standards and you'll need a long wash, at least twenty minutes after washing aid treatment. This is actually convenient with pyro, where a long wash is desirable to foster stain development.

Another good way to do it is to move the films from one tray to another: have water running into a tray at your right. Transfer films one at a time from tray on left into the filling tray at right. When left tray is empty, dump the water, slide the full tray to the left position, and repeat. This combines constant agitation with a full exhchange of water every minute or so--that's a very efficient wash regime

-- Carl Weese (cweese@earthlink.net), April 17, 2001.

Richard,

I've used a print washer for sheet film in the 8x10, 11x14, and 8x20 sizes. I've had problems with films together in trays, I always seemed to scratch them.

So, I just use a 16x20 print washer. I do use longer wash times then recomended with the washing aids, and I do washing aids. Never had a problem with scratches since going to the print washer.

George Losse

-- George Losse (glosse@netaxs.com), April 18, 2001.