Fixing Film v Fixing Paper

I have a question, which struck me yesterday as I printed.

When you Film, in the early stages of fixing the emulsion takes on a milky appearance before clearing

When you fix Paper, I have never seen the paper emulsion take on a milky appearance

Anyone know why this is the case :confused:

Thanks

Martin

White paper backing and also a lot less silver, esp on rc paper.

What Bob said, also, some papers do exhibit a change while fixing, if you watch closely. I have used some which "cleared" noticeably in the past (an Eastern Euro paper, don't remember the brand, was the most obvious), and I could see somewhat a change as my old favorite, Forte MG Fiber cleared in TF4. Ilford MG doesn't show a change, that I can see under red lights.
I haven't compared closely, but I think the Ilford MG does look slightly cleaner, though, under white viewing light, if soaked in water for a minute or so after fixer, rather than taken straight from the fixer to viewing, as if final remains are cleared out by the water.

If you'd used Kentint or the Tura B&W papers which were on on a coloured/metallic bases then you'd have seen clearly that all emulsions have that milky look, it's the undeveloped silver halides.

Ian

Papers do show this. It seems like lithable papers show it more; it is something that you have to account for when doing lith printing. That is, you can see the image change in the fixer, and it may, or may not, be what you wanted when you snatched the print from the developer.

Papers do show this. It seems like lithable papers show it more; it is something that you have to account for when doing lith printing. That is, you can see the image change in the fixer, and it may, or may not, be what you wanted when you snatched the print from the developer.

Ian Grant said:

If you'd used Kentint or the Tura B&W papers which were on on a coloured/metallic bases then you'd have seen clearly that all emulsions have that milky look, it's the undeveloped silver halides.

Ian

Click to expand...

I had forgotten about those Kentmere papers with a coloured base

They did a silver base and others but cannot remember what they were

One of my freinds at Uni was quite "into" them

Seems a long time ago

Martin