Fixing time for test strips - How low can you go?

All I want to know for Xmas is:

How short can I fix my test strips for just a quick evaluation?
Doing a full 60/90 secs fix every time seems a bit overkill to me.

Any other time saving tips?

I often fix test strips for something like 10 seconds and dry the strips with a hairdryer. Obviously the strips only last a day or so before they start to fog, but I only need them for a few minutes so I don't care.

Yeah! 10 secs sounds good and the hairdryer-trick also, thanks for the tips!

I fix test strips for 30 secs, then a brief rinse in water; toss up onto a sheet of acrylic, squeegee off excess water and evaluate.

I'm sure (well sort of...) that I read, that once the developed paper was put into the stop bath solution, one could then look at the paper under white light, as there is no developer to do any more work...?

So in principle, if the above is correct, you don't even need to fix the test strips at all, if you just want to view them and not keep them. Only by trying this and seeing is the only way to test it I suppose,

I'm quite happy for anyone to correct me if I'm totally wrong in my memory.

Terry S

tezzasmall said:

I'm sure (well sort of...) that I read, that once the developed paper was put into the stop bath solution, one could then look at the paper under white light, as there is no developer to do any more work...?

So in principle, if the above is correct, you don't even need to fix the test strips at all, if you just want to view them and not keep them. Only by trying this and seeing is the only way to test it I suppose,

I'm quite happy for anyone to correct me if I'm totally wrong in my memory.

Terry S

Click to expand...

This is okay for RC papers.
For fibre papers, be sure that the stop bath has enough time to neutralize the developer soaked into the paper.
I print mostly on RC, and after 30 seconds in the fixer I do my safety check (to be sure all unexposed paper is put away) and then flip on the lights.
I use a lot of my test strips later to test for toning, so even if I take them out of the fixer early and dry them for evaluation purposes, they are later returned to the fixer to complete the process, then fully washed and dried normally.
By the way, it is important to rinse the strips before quick drying, and to handle them specially, because you don't want the residue of fixer on them getting on to unexposed paper or the surfaces in your darkroom that you tend to touch or handle.