Colored Darkroom Trays

[Chazzy]

I've noticed that color-coded darkroom trays are being offered for sale now. Is there any standard system for using these--i.e., developer is red, fixer is green, etc.? And is the possible contamination of a solution by using a tray that contained something else the last time it was used actually that serious, assuming that trays are rinsed out thoroughly after use?

 

[argus]

My scheme:
white for developer
red for stop bath
black for fix
But I guess it's all personal taste.

If you wash the trays thouroughly after use, there should no fear for contamination.
If it was, we would shudder each time we put film in our developping tank!

G

 

[dancqu]

... assuming that trays are rinsed out thoroughly after use?

For straight processing, develop, stop, fix 1, fix 2, rinse,
hca, rinse, some solution is transferred from one to the other.
If repeated use is made of the same solutions a build-up of
the previous will be found in the next. But who complains?
Film and paper continue to turn out fine.

The moral of the story, don't sweat it. But if you still
worry try my single tray - one shot way of processing.
Develop, fix, hca; single fix archival results and great
chemical milage. Dan

 

[Monophoto]

I'm anal, and I have marked my trays so that they have one use. The developer tray has become discolored over the years - that stain can be removed using bleach, and that suggests that the stain COULD contaminate subsequent batches of chemicals.

Color coding the trays could eliminate the need to mark the trays. Since they will be used in your darkroom, and since there is no universal standard, you get to set the standard that you follow.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I always used to use yellow or red for dev, white for stop, and blue for fix until I got stainless steel trays.

 

[argus]

I always used to use yellow or red for dev, white for stop, and blue for fix until I got stainless steel trays.

Is there any advantage over plastic trays?
I can imagine that putting steel trays in a tempering bath works better?

G

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Stainless is easier to clean and for some reason, I seem to be able to handle sheet film more easily in them, but that may just be the design. I like the Columbian trays with the raised "X" on the bottom best, but I have a few types, as well as an enameled tray for toning. They also do better in a tempering bath, as you mention.

Plastic trays seem to last a lifetime, but stainless lasts at least three lifetimes, so they are probably overkill, but I like knowing that I have pretty much the last trays I'll ever need, at least in the sizes I have them.

 

[dr bob]

As usual, I gotta be different. I use black for developer, black for stop, and black for fixer. Prints are also washed in black trays.

 

[photomc]

just write dev, fix, stop on mine. Have one set of 11x14 trays that are all white....plus a set that are red, gray and white

 

[titrisol]

Ibought a used set of trays... they came in assorted colors and I used them as such.
I prefer black for developer though