[alt-photo] Re: Question for Platinum/Palladium printers

[etienne garbaux]

Don wrote:

> > I cannot for the life of me understand why people insist on trying to
> >clear Pt/Pd prints in ... citric acid
>
>Because it works! Do you have proof that citric acid doesn't?
>
>FWIW I move the developed print directly into the 3% citric acid bath sans
>water rinse. Followed by a second citric acid bath, both for 5 minutes.
>Fresh for each print
>
>Quoting Carl Weese -

Proof?  (Is there such a thing, outside of the very limited scope of 
reasoning concerning a priori propositions such as those of geometry 
and mathematics, or the completely artificial "proof" at law?)  What 
I have is evidence.  I tested a number of acids long, long ago at a 
time when I had access to a well-equipped analytical chemistry 
lab.  As I said in a previous post, I found that citric acid at least 
tried to clear the insoluble iron (unlike acetic acid and some 
others, which did nothing at all), but in the end just couldn't do it 
satisfactorily.  I submit that if there is ANY doubt whatsoever about 
the efficacy of any other clearing agent, one should abandon it in 
favor of HCl -- and I showed to my satisfaction that there is 
actually substantial doubt in the case of citric acid.  Carl and I 
went back and forth on this some years ago.

Best regards,

etienne