Fixing Washi

[MurrayMinchin]

Hi there,

What's the consensus on fixing times for thin Gampi and Kozo papers?

Mike Ware suggests fixing Argyrotypes for 3 minutes in a fix made of 20 grams sodium thiosulfate in 1 litre of water. This is with papers around 300gsm and allows time for penetration of the paper fibres.

While doing tests I've been using 21gsm Gampi and fixing in 25 grams sodium thiosulfate per 1 litre for 2 minutes.

Plausible?

 

[koraks]

I've only been playing with the Japanese tissue papers very briefly, but one of the nice things is that you can actually watch the progress of fixing (at least on the papers I've used) as long as you mask a reasonably big area that is sensitized during exposure. This way you're left with a patch or border of unexposed silver salts and you can actually watch these fix out. It's pretty fast, but I use dilute C41 color fixer instead of sodium thiosulfate. I've mostly been doing Van Dyke brown; fixing with 1+10 or even 1+20 rapid fixer takes less than a minute with constant 'rolling' agitation.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

I've only been playing with the Japanese tissue papers very briefly, but one of the nice things is that you can actually watch the progress of fixing (at least on the papers I've used) as long as you mask a reasonably big area that is sensitized during exposure. This way you're left with a patch or border of unexposed silver salts and you can actually watch these fix out. It's pretty fast, but I use dilute C41 color fixer instead of sodium thiosulfate. I've mostly been doing Van Dyke brown; fixing with 1+10 or even 1+20 rapid fixer takes less than a minute with constant 'rolling' agitation.

Sounds like we're on the same-ish path as far as fixing goes.

Will you be using a hypo clear? (Mike Ware doesn't mention it in his Argyrotype papers).

 

[koraks]

No, never considered it to be honest.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Hi there,

What's the consensus on fixing times for thin Gampi and Kozo papers?

Mike Ware suggests fixing Argyrotypes for 3 minutes in a fix made of 20 grams sodium thiosulfate in 1 litre of water. This is with papers around 300gsm and allows time for penetration of the paper fibres.

While doing tests I've been using 21gsm Gampi and fixing in 25 grams sodium thiosulfate per 1 litre for 2 minutes.

Plausible?

A generally useful rule of thumb for fixing paper is a preference for 'strong and short' over 'weak and long.' so fixing is complete, but a deep penetration of fibers is prevented, which would be unnecessarily hard to wash out.

 

[koraks]

a deep penetration of fibers is prevented, which would be unnecessarily hard to wash out.

But this is very thin washi paper. It's a whole different ballgame from regular paper stocks.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

A generally useful rule of thumb for fixing paper is a preference for 'strong and short' over 'weak and long.' so fixing is complete, but a deep penetration of fibers is prevented, which would be unnecessarily hard to wash out.

How about thin papers? Some people print on Washi thinner than shown in photo below (handmade Gampi sold as 21gsm so actual weight can vary a bit)