Paper Questions (Washing)

All,

Sorry if these questions are elementary, but unfortunately I've had to teach myself how to make darkroom prints, rather than get instruction from a class, where hopefully they'd cover some of these issues... I'm printing on Arista or Ilford RC multigrade papers (semi-matte), and I'm washing in a tray with running water.

1) Basically, after I wash my prints, they feel a bit slimy, as though there's a very thin layer of dish soap on them. Also, I have to make sure that they dry vertically, since any leftover water creates noticeable spots on the dry image. Is this normal? If not, what's going wrong?

2) My times are 90 seconds in the developer, 30 seconds in stop bath, and 90 seconds in the fixer (Zonal Pro Rapid) - do these need to be adjusted? And is there any way I can tell when my fixer is spent apart from using hypo check solution?

3) I understand that if I were to ever use fiber paper, I'd have to wash longer, likely after using a hypo clearing agent. Are there other things I'd have to consider too before trying it out?

I just ordered some glossy paper and a print drying blotter book. I'm anxious to try them out during my next print session.

In response to your questions:

1) How long are you washing your prints? What sort of water are you using? A slimy feel, plus noticeable drying spots sounds like a water problem to me.

2) The times will vary slightly depending on the chemistry you are using, but your times look to be normal.

I've never used print blotters with RC paper - a dish drying rack or something similar works for me. The blotter will work for fiber prints, but you need to be sure that the prints are well washed.

The slimy feel, as you call it, is simply the water remaining on the paper, You need a paper squzee to remove all surplus water from the paper before drying them, and dry them either upright or lying down, I use Fotospeed wt10 warmtone developer diluted 1/19 and develop my rc paper for 2m20sec, stop bath for around 10 seconds and fix for 2min then wash for 4 minutes. with FB paper same developer same time, stop 30 seconds, wash 10 minutes, Hypoclear 5 minutes then wash for I hour, then air dry hanging on line 2 prints pegged back to back to help them dry flatter, FB takes a lot longer, personally, I do most of my printing these days on RC paper as I prefer it,Hope this helps,Richard

Resin coat papers clear so fast, I cannot account for the "slimy" feel or spots unless there is something wrong with your water.

Your procedures seem fine, although I just use water for a stop bath. I am not familiar with your zonal pro fixer, but if it is diluted to film strength then 30 seconds with agitation is plenty. With RC papers, I fix for 15s, then into a holding tray. At the end of the session I refix in batches in a separate fixer, and test what was in the first tray. Just saves me time.

Maybe if you can get your hands on a ph strip, test your water.

Try rinsing each print under tepid running water while gently rubbing with your hand or a celulose photo sponge, then squeeging the excess water before hanging to dry.

I've encountered this in a public darkroom where someone kept increasing the temp of the water because the cold water was hurting his fingies. Try really cool water - see if the slime disappears. It did for us!

Answering questions:
- The water is being run through the house's filter system, so it's no longer "hard."
- I'm washing for about 5 minutes. The tray is under the bath faucet, and water is filling and subsequently overflowing it.
- Also, I am using cold water.

Mine are also sorta slimy to the touch when wet, but I squeegee them on a plexiglass board then air dry them face down on screens. I don't have any problems with deposits afterward. Our water here is harder than a rock even after going through a softener. My darkroom sink water goes through a filter, but I doubt it removes much more. I keep it at about 68 F.

If you are using an alkaline fix and then washing your prints in softened water as you imply, they will undoubtedly feel slimy. Just wash them in untreated water then squeegee to remove surface water and dry.
Denise Libby

Try toning one of your prints with a sepia toner. If it looks a blotchy mess, you haven't washed it for long enough, or maybe haven't used the right technique. I discovered this early on and it was a useful lesson. You need a slow but steady flow to 'float' the chemicals off the surface. I was trying to blast the chemicals off with a spray of water and it didn't work, but it sounds as though you have a better approach.

You might try putting one of the slimy prints back in the stop bath and if the slimyness instantly dissappears the PH of your water is alkaline.

yeknom02 said:

... unfortunately I've had to teach myself how to make darkroom prints, rather than get instruction from a class, ...

Click to expand...

Those are not the only two alternatives to learning how to do this. There are many books available on printing and a number of websites. Complete instructions are on Ilford's website. Times for paper and the various chemistry (and wash times) are in the instructions that come with the product.

Read everything. Good luck.