I need help fixing my RA4 workflow

[soysos]

Did my first color print session yesterday. Using Fuji crystal archive, and my own chemistry. I’m using a jobo for temperature control, with the developer and bleach trays, but the fixer at room temperature. Initially I was doing develop for 1:00, rinse with running water for 0:30, bleach for 2:00 in ferricyanide, rinse again, fix for 3:00. Ended up with a blue cast on the borders, so I thought I fogged the paper. But it got worse as I went. Thought it might not be fixing enough before turning the lights on. Mixed fresh fixer, went 5:00, continued to get worse. Eventually I skipped the bleach. White borders. So clearly the ferricyanide is getting contaminated very quickly. Any suggestions on how I can fix this? My thoughts so far have been bleaching after the fix. Maybe trying peroxide copper sulfate bleach instead. Or it might be as simple as adding a stop bath. Am I on the right track?

 

[koraks]

The problem most likely is that in your process, there is some developer carry-over into the ferricyanide bleach bath. This instantly oxidizes especially in the top layer of the paper, where the cyan dye coupler is. So you get a cyan cast. It may trend towards blue if the middle layer is also involved where the magenta coupler is.

Or it might be as simple as adding a stop bath.

That's one thing and I would also add a sulfite clearing bath after the stop bath.

The best advice I could give you is to not use a ferricyanide bleach. The paper is not made for this, and as you've observed, it can cause problems also during processing. To add to this, there are compounds in the paper that protect the dyes against oxidation by free radicals in the environment. By using a ferricyanide bleach, you destroy these compounds, which shortens the expected lifespan of the paper (also in dark storage). It's really not a good idea unless you're OK with your prints fading and/or yellowing prematurely. Don't blame Fuji in that case.

In anticipation of the question: I don't know if a copper sulfate bleach is sufficiently benign to avoid the archival problem indicated above.

If you are located in a Western country, the best option bar none is to use a proper RA4 blix. The process will also be quicker as it's a single step.

 

[soysos]

The problem most likely is that in your process, there is some developer carry-over into the ferricyanide bleach bath. This instantly oxidizes especially in the top layer of the paper, where the cyan dye coupler is. So you get a cyan cast. It may trend towards blue if the middle layer is also involved where the magenta coupler is.


That's one thing and I would also add a sulfite clearing bath after the stop bath.

The best advice I could give you is to not use a ferricyanide bleach. The paper is not made for this, and as you've observed, it can cause problems also during processing. To add to this, there are compounds in the paper that protect the dyes against oxidation by free radicals in the environment. By using a ferricyanide bleach, you destroy these compounds, which shortens the expected lifespan of the paper (also in dark storage). It's really not a good idea unless you're OK with your prints fading and/or yellowing prematurely. Don't blame Fuji in that case.

In anticipation of the question: I don't know if a copper sulfate bleach is sufficiently benign to avoid the archival problem indicated above.

If you are located in a Western country, the best option bar none is to use a proper RA4 blix. The process will also be quicker as it's a single step.

Copper sulfate was the standard formula, before switching over to ferric ammonium. That’s why I’m considering it. Because I can’t get ferric ammonium.

 

[koraks]

Copper sulfate was the standard formula, before switching over to ferric ammonium.

I don't think it ever was in RA4 and it definitely wasn't in the period when today's Fuji papers originated. But like I said, I don't know either way. I'd be hesitant.

I can’t get ferric ammonium.

Where you live you have no access to something like this? https://kodak.photosys.com/collections/color-pr/products/color-print-sp-bleach-fix-replenisher-10l

 

[soysos]

I don't think it ever was in RA4 and it definitely wasn't in the period when today's Fuji papers originated. But like I said, I don't know either way. I'd be hesitant.


Where you live you have no access to something like this? https://kodak.photosys.com/collections/color-pr/products/color-print-sp-bleach-fix-replenisher-10l

I do. But that’s 20L. It will go bad long before I’ve gotten my money’s worth. But it looks like adding a stop bath fixed the problem. Makes processing a bit of a hassle, since I can’t put them in a straight line. But it works.

 

[mshchem]

I do. But that’s 20L. It will go bad long before I’ve gotten my money’s worth. But it looks like adding a stop bath fixed the problem. Makes processing a bit of a hassle, since I can’t put them in a straight line. But it works.

Well done!

If you can post your process in detail.

 

[Samu]

Did my first color print session yesterday. Using Fuji crystal archive, and my own chemistry. I’m using a jobo for temperature control, with the developer and bleach trays, but the fixer at room temperature. Initially I was doing develop for 1:00, rinse with running water for 0:30, bleach for 2:00 in ferricyanide, rinse again, fix for 3:00. Ended up with a blue cast on the borders, so I thought I fogged the paper. But it got worse as I went. Thought it might not be fixing enough before turning the lights on. Mixed fresh fixer, went 5:00, continued to get worse. Eventually I skipped the bleach. White borders. So clearly the ferricyanide is getting contaminated very quickly. Any suggestions on how I can fix this? My thoughts so far have been bleaching after the fix. Maybe trying peroxide copper sulfate bleach instead. Or it might be as simple as adding a stop bath. Am I on the right track?

There are no separate bleach and fix steps in RA-4, although the concentrates are commonly sold in two parts. They are meant for making one solution, bleach-fix, which will perform both bleaching and fixing. This differs from the official versions of C-41, ECN-2 and E-6, which all use separate bleach and fix. Many "simplified" home kits" for the aforementioned processes are based on Tetenal´s press kits from the 1980´s, and use "blix" instead, as does standard RA-4. Using the bleach and fixer parts of the bleavh fix will probably not work as intended. There is some tolerance in temperature in RA´4, much more so than in film processes, In tubes, heating is probably not essential for 45 seconds long developing and bilx times. This does not mean you won´t need any temperature control though. Running this process in room temperature would have visible impact on results, but you don´t need a margin of +- 0.3°C for this process, nor does exceeding times by by a few seconds make any remarkable difference.