How long in fixer?

[Ektagraphic]

Hi Guys- I have been fixing Tri-X for 3 min and found that atleast 5 mins is what I need to be doing. How long should film be fixed for? Also, it is normal for the negs to have a sort of pink tint when you look at the area around the images? Thanks

 

[Anon Ymous]

Fixing time test:

1. Take a piece of film. The leader will do nicely.
2. Put a drop of fixer on it and let it there for a couple of minutes. It wil make a clear spot on the film.
3. Now take a beaker/graduate, pour your fixer solution there and drop the piece of film.
4. Start the timer and count how much it takes to clear the film. It happens when you can no longer see the spot.
5. Multiply the time it took by 2x or 3x and that's your fixing time. You can fix for a bit longer, it won't hurt.

Now, about the pink cast, have a look at the sticky thread at this section of the forum...

 

[trexx]

See the sticky thread about the pink. It is gone when proper fix and wash are done.

Fixing should be complete in 3min. with fresh fixer. But 5min is what is recommended. It will also will help reduce the pink.

 

[Ian Grant]

Also read the manufacturers data-sheet for the fixer the recommended times will be there.

Ian

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I say 3-5 minutes for fix. If is fresh 3 minutes. If it is 'old' 5 minutes.

Jeff

 

[Ektagraphic]

It is fresh fixer but 3 min is terribly underfixed. I am using Zonal Pro chemicals. The bottle reads 3min. Is it possible to over fix?

 

[Ian Grant]

Yes you can over-fix but with films this doesn't occur that quickly so extending the fixer time isn't a big issue. However with prints particularly warm tone papers image bleaching occurs quite fast.

Ian

 

[Ektagraphic]

I seem to have no problem fixing prints.

 

[Ektagraphic]

I'll go for 5min and see how they look.

 

[bdial]

Five minutes should be fine, but;
If the instructions say 3 minutes, and the fix is fresh, and diluted correctly, then at 3 minutes you shouldn't have "terribly underfixed" negatives.

 

[Anon Ymous]

It is fresh fixer but 3 min is terribly underfixed. I am using Zonal Pro chemicals. The bottle reads 3min. Is it possible to over fix?

Terribly underfixed after 3' sounds very strange, if it's not exaggeration. Make sure you use "film strength" dilution and check if freshly diluted film strength fixer clears a piece of film within a minute. If not, your fixer might be almost dead.

 

[Paul Sorensen]

If they are "terribly underfixed" because the pink dye is still there, they might just need a bit better wash, not more fixing at all. The pink dyes on Tmax films are removed by fixing and washing and their presence is not a sign of underfixing. I would take a look at the long thread on this issue that was mentioned earlier.

 

[Ektagraphic]

No, terribly unfixed isn't an eggaduration. When you look at the non emulsion side you can't even see images after 3 min. It is very milky. After 5 min. the images are very clear and sharp when viewed from both sides of the film. Maybe I mixed the chemicals wrong.

 

[BetterSense]

1. Take a piece of film. The leader will do nicely.

No it won't. Due to printing out from extreme exposure, the fixing time for the leader can be radically different than the rest of the roll. I have tested this many times with Tri-X.

I use a sliver from what's hanging out of the casette when I'm done, and put it in the top of the tank. Fix till the sliver is clear, then a bit more.

 

[Anon Ymous]

No it won't. Due to printing out from extreme exposure, the fixing time for the leader can be radically different than the rest of the roll. I have tested this many times with Tri-X.

I use a sliver from what's hanging out of the casette when I'm done, and put it in the top of the tank. Fix till the sliver is clear, then a bit more.

Yes, I know what you're talking about, but the leader is ok. You need to take into account that that piece of film will never be as clear as unexposed film. When you can see through it and the spot disappears, it's fine.

 

[EASmithV]

Hi Guys- I have been fixing Tri-X for 3 min and found that atleast 5 mins is what I need to be doing. How long should film be fixed for? Also, it is normal for the negs to have a sort of pink tint when you look at the area around the images? Thanks

I always go for 5 minutes, sometimes 8 depending on the amount of use It has gotten, but 5 minutes fresh.

I've never had a pink tint with Tri-X. Tmx 100 is an entirely different story...

 

[Paul Sorensen]

No, terribly unfixed isn't an eggaduration. When you look at the non emulsion side you can't even see images after 3 min. It is very milky. After 5 min. the images are very clear and sharp when viewed from both sides of the film. Maybe I mixed the chemicals wrong.

Well, either that or maybe you aren't using a rapid fixer. A hypo based fixer works much more slowly than a rapid fixer, that could be the difference. I don't know about Zonal Pro's fixer, so I don't know whether they make a hypo based fixer or not.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Non-rapid fixer diluted 1:4 is used for 5 to 10 minutes.

Steve

 

[Ektagraphic]

Now that Tri-X is fully washed, it has a slight purple tint. Is this normal.

 

[BetterSense]

I hope so. I have dozens of rolls of developed tri-x, and it's all purple-tinted. Foma is blue-tinted after processing. The only film I have that is totally clear after processing is Fuji.

 

[Anscojohn]

I seem to have no problem fixing prints.

*******
You won't know for a looooong time if your prints are improperly fixed.

 

[dancqu]

Non-rapid fixer diluted 1:4 is used for
5 to 10 minutes. Steve

At 1:4 non-rapid with Acros takes about
10 minutes give or take depending upon
agitation. Used one-shot. Dan