Does anybody put prints through Photo-Flo?

I have always used Kodak Photo-Flo after rinsing B&W film I've developed. I print on RC paper and sometimes notice prints have marks left from the hard tap water that I use for my final rinse. Does anybody out there use Photo-Flo or something similar on prints? I"m wondering if it would eliminate hard water deposits.

I have hard water here in Central Florida as well. I don't do anything other than stand the print on long end. (that is, if 8x10 paper, 10" side is touching on a towel and it's standing 8" tall) I just prop it up on something this way. If I lay the print flat, I always have hard water stain.

I've never tried any drying aid.

I haven't myself. I never had problems with just 'air drying'

Jeff

Drops of hard water are leaving spots on your prints. Are you squeegeeing your prints? That will reduce the chance of big drops drying on your prints. Squeegee the back of your prints on plate glass. I have an old Falcon roller for RC prints and they work well.

I appreciate the replies. I do squeegee them but just on the edge of a plastic tray, maybe I should get myself a plate of glass in order to get rid of more of the water. I have found that drying them standing up does help but it's more challenging and I worry that when they start to bend a little they'll flop over onto the emulsion side. I guess I'm just looking for an easier way to do it.

Is there any way - with some kind of hose - to soften water?

My dark room is being built in my basement, and I need a way to soften the water, if I can.

Richard

PS. I'll be using a Y splitter on the single spigot.

I've had water mark problems too. I've considered doing a light final rinse with distilled water. Would that work?

DAM1970 said:

I have always used Kodak Photo-Flo after rinsing B&W film I've developed. I print on RC paper and sometimes notice prints have marks left from the hard tap water that I use for my final rinse. Does anybody out there use Photo-Flo or something similar on prints? I"m wondering if it would eliminate hard water deposits.

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Agfa Sistan was an image silver stabilizer that also contained a wetting agent. It is harder to get now, but there was a recent thread about it. Apparently it is still available under a different name.
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

You got a huge increase in archival permanence on top of the wetting agent you want. I assume there is no issue with using Photo-Flo instead.

Hey look, Photoflo won't hurt anything. Just try it. What have you got to lose?

Hang the RC prints to dry with a clothes pin, and use photoflo if you have hard water. If real hard water, rinse in distilled water and hang or dry normally. You can reuse that distilled water for a number of prints.

Your water may be much harder than mine in my part of the U.K. but here kettle elements will begin to fur up with limescale within a few weeks so that's hard water in my book. Despite this I have never experienced any problems with RC paper.

Try using the Paterson type squeegee which has two sets of blades which can grip the paper hard and squeegee in both directions. RC paper is very tough and can stand up to this. This might cure the problem. You might want to invest in a drying cabinet where after squeegeeing, the prints lie flat and a fan blows air across the surface either at ambient temp or at a higher temp if the heating element is switched on.

A final tray of de-ionised water after the normal water wash may be useful. As the print is already washed then the de-ionised water tray shouldn't need changing very often in a print session this keeping expense down.

I haven't had to use de-ionised water and found vigorous squeegeeing and an upright Paterson drying rack to be OK before obtaining a fan assisted horizontal rack in a job lot of darkroom equipment. So keep the air assisted dryer and de-ionised water in reserve until you try the no cost options.

pentaxuser
pentaxuser

I use Sistan without any problems.

I have used Sistan and PhotoFlo.

I usually use Photoflo when I need my RC prints to dry really quick; the Sistan I use as an image stabilizer (although my last bottle is just about empty).

Never had a problem with either method - I just keep a bottle of PF just for my prints and one for my films.

I've always used distilled water for the final rinse. I use the same bath for up to 10 11x14 prints. Seems to work for me as I don't see some of the spots I've seen in the past. And pretty cheap compared to the cost of the paper.