B&W in DURST Printo - Stop bath?

[Matt5791]

Is it acceptable to run prints straight from developer to Fix in the durst printo?

I am replenishing the solution after a set number of prints and also when the print leaves the developer it is squeeged between the exit rollers presumably removing most of the dev.

So I am guessing no need for stop?

Thanks for any help,

Matt

 

[Donald Qualls]

Acid fixer will stop development just as well as stop bath will, for as long as it says acidic. The main issue is that contaminating the fixer with developer will shorten its life, especially if used with replenishment as might be the case in an auto processor (with film, there's also the possibility of dichroic fog and uneven development if the fixer's acidity is compromised by alkaline developer carry-over, but neither is a major problem with paper because development is normally carried to or near completion).

If the Printo has a place to put stop bath, I'd suggest using it and checking it periodically (either via indicator or with pH test). Stop bath is cheap (Kodak Indicator Stop Bath is actually cheaper than diluting gallon jugs of white vinegar from the grocery store, even if you have a means to track the life of the vinegar), and while fixer is also cheap, it's less so than stop bath -- while photo paper and your time are *much* less cheap...