Kallitype Clearing - A couple of questions

Hi,

I have just started to explore the Kallitype process and appear to be having problems with clearing. I spent last night reading through the various threads which relate to this but I just need some clarification on one or two points.

Firstly, I am following Sandy Kings process (alternativephotography), don't do a wash between the developer and clearing baths, in fact the first rinse I do is between clearing and toning. I am however not convinced that the prints are clearing perfectly, its takes a bit of searching but I'm sure there is a very hint of stain outside of the image area once dried. I have noticed that although the stain is considerably removed after developing for a full 10 mins it is still present, the first clearing bath seems to remove it totally before placing in the second.

I am using Arches Platine, and all is good other than the problem with clearing.

I believe that the pH of the water supply is 6.57.

So my questions are:

1) If I increase the acidity of the Sodium Citrate Developer by adding citric acid how much should I add? I did add 10g to 1 litre of developer but there was very little difference.

2) Should you agitate for the duration of the developer/clearing baths or just let the print sit?

3) I read on one thread about using Kodak Hypo Clear or similar (I have Ilford Washaid) to assist in removing the stain, but unclear whether this is instead of the citric clearing baths or as well as and at what stage of the process this should be included?

4) I am using distilled water to make up the developer/toner, but tap water for everything else, is this ideal or should distilled water be used?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

John

Try a weak citric acid rinse after development, before you do the clearing bath. I fill a bucket with tap water, add about half a teaspoon of citric acid, pour over print, agitate, dump, pour in more rinse, dump, repeat until bucket is empty.

I do not add any additional acid to the Sodium Citrate Developer. I do use tartaric acid with Rochelle Salt Developer. I develop for 5 min, but extend that 10min if the print is not clearing sufficiently. Usually my prints are mostly cleared at the end of development. Are you using Potassium Dichromate as a restrainer? I find some restrainer in the developer helps clearing.

I agitate vigorously during development. The shadows tend to precipitate quite a lot and I don't want it settling into the fibers of the print. I have gone both ways with 'rinse' or 'no rinse' after developing and have settled into adding a healthy splash of my clearing bath into the tray and then adding tap water for a single vigorous rinse. If I do not rinse after developing, then I usually dump the 1st clearing bath after 1 use.

I would use the 3% citric acid as the first clearing bath and then hypoclear as the second clearing bath. You can also try Tetrasodium EDTA for clearing as many people swear by it. I tried it and it did not seem to be any better than citric acid for me. I only agitate every 30s or so during clearing. I clear 5min in the 1st and 2nd baths, but sometimes I'll pull the print out of the second bath early if it looks completely cleared.

I really believe most staining is due to problems with paper or emulsion ( maybe depleted developer ). If you've got too much stain to remove in the clearing bath, then the problem is earlier in your workflow.

I add a tiny amount of citric acid to my first rinse after development and never have a problem with clearing. A huge percentage of the clearing takes place in this first rinse.

A huge percentage of the clearing takes place in this first rinse.

Click to expand...

...and in sodium citrate developer. Develop a print under a bright tungsten light and you will see.
As R Shaffer stated, depleted developer... so make sure you occassionally replenish your developer. For me, when my storage bottle gets down to 800ml, I top it up to 1 litre with fresh sodium citrate.

John, I can totally relate with your issue. I have been working with this problem for a while.
A few things I have found.
- make sure your ferric oxalate is fairly fresh. It will start to stain after sometimes only a few months (I have decided to mix only small amounts at a time).
- use potassium dichromate in developer to help clear the high lights. Sandy King says this is absolutely necessary. 2ml per litre
- use non-chlorinated water (I use filtered water) for the first citric acid clearing bath. I have read that chlorine can bind with the unexposed silver and present problems.
- I use a second clearing bath of EDTA.
- I have started using a new developer instead of sodium citrate: sodium acetate / ammonium citrate. In Christopher James' Alternative Photographic Processes, he recommends this developer for totally clearing the high lights. Ammonium Citrate is a 20% solution and sodium acetate is 7.5% solution with 3g tartaric acid per 1 litre.
Mix 50/50 of each.
I am finally getting clear high lights. I also use Platine.

david

Thank you all for your replies and help and it gives plenty to think about here. Agitating during development seems to be something I need to do and I feel that Davids use of filtered water seems most sensible. I have more experience with salt prints and found that normal tap water always caused havoc with the silver nitrate so i think I will look at using distilled water at least for the first clearing bath. I have some EDTA so I might give that and Hypoclear a go (on separate occasions) as to changing the developer, for now I think I will stick with Sodium Citrate as I don't want to change to much to quickly and also I have a far bit at present.

Once again many thanks for your suggestions, i have just posted three prints from my first two days playing with Kallitypes and I enjoy it immensely, seems more consistent than salt printing I must say.

John

Hello,

Well, I have adjust a few things, these include vigorously agitating the developer, incorporating a wash directly after the developer using about 2L of water with a heaped teaspoon of citric acid and washing/dumping as Andrew suggested. I have also tried with two citric clearing baths and also one citric clearing bath followed by a second of hypoclear (Ilford Washaid 1+4). After all this once the prints had dried I help them against a bright light and there was no obvious stain or change of colour in the paper base so I'm hoping the problem is solved.

I have also found that on the print placed in the Ilford Washaid prior to toning the platinum toner didn't have any visible effect on the image colour, it remained brown. Maybe the Ilford washaid isn't suited for the process so I will buy some Kodak hypoclear and give it another go to see.

Thanks again everyone for your advise and help.

John