Re: darkrooms & water


Richard Lahrson (tripspud@hooked.net)
Tue, 01 Jun 1999 20:44:16 -0700


Kathryn Garrison wrote:

> It is apparently the volume of water that's a bigger deal. She recommended
> for the time I'd be using a septic system I'd probably want to avoid FB
> paper because of the length of time/volume of water needed to wash. It's
> an old septic tank in need of an overhaul anyway and using that much water
> could likely cause me problems!

Greetings all!

    Recent developments in washing of fiber-based papers suggest that
the formerly traditional long wash times can be greatly reduced by
using a greatly reduced fixing time in a rapid fixer. The idea is
to keep the fixing time so short that the fixer is not absorbed into
the paper base, and the residual fixer is more easily and quickly
removed. Ilford has done some of this research. Tests have
shown that this method leaved less residual hypo than the previously
used two fixing bath method. Note that this is part of the technic
for producing fiber-based prints with a longer life.

     If so-called 'archival' prints are not desired, there's the
plastic stuff, with short wash times.

     It's my impression that most of the alternative processes
do not require long wash times; hopefully others can add their
understandings.

                                Cheers,

                                                Rich Lahrson
                                                tripspud@hooked.net



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