Photo-flo use with Color RC paper

Daumier · Nov 6, 2017

Hi,
I'm new to this site. I currently work on a lot of RA-4 printing, my main concern is combating hard water mineral deposits on my prints, which usually have a lot of black space in them. My solution is to dip my color RC prints in a photo-flo bath after washing, and the mineral deposits never occurred again. My question is: does the photo-flo pose a long term degradation problem with my prints? In other words, what is the worst that photo-flo will do to my prints say decades from now? I've been doing this for about 5 years and no issue yet.
Thanks in advance!

mshchem · Nov 6, 2017

Photo flo will work fine. If you are washing the prints after Blix for a minute and a half, then a dunk in a photo flo solution will work fine. Minilabs use washless process where the prints go through 3 separate stabilizer rinses. Kodak doesn't require you to use stabilizer if you are able to wash prints after Blix. I usually dip my prints into reverse osmosis purified water (no photo flo) then run through an Ilford RC print dryer. If you are air drying your prints photo flo will definitely help with any spots etc.
I love making RA4 prints. Faster, Cheaper and better than inkjet
Best Regards Mike

Patrick Robert James · Nov 6, 2017

mshchem said:
Faster, Cheaper and better than inkjet
Best Regards Mike

Don't let the inkjet people hear you say that or they will unleash the fisticuffs!

Photo Engineer · Nov 6, 2017

I would suggest a final rinse in Distilled Water rather than Photo Flo.

PE

Daumier · Nov 7, 2017

Photo Engineer said:
I would suggest a final rinse in Distilled Water rather than Photo Flo.

PE

Just wondering what your reasoning is for not using the photo Flo, is it because there is a risk of the Ethylene glycol reacting badly with the paper long term?

Photo Engineer · Nov 7, 2017

Photo Flo has never been recommended with paper. Any amount of PF can be retained by the very thick paper emulsion layers and cause tacky prints that stick together. This is just one reason. It can react with the RC support and the dyes in the paper which differ than those in film.

PE

Sirius Glass · Nov 7, 2017

Welcome to ~~APUG~~ Photrio.

PE is our expert resident retired Kodak employee from Kodak's research and development for photographic processes. You can bank on his recommendations.

Daumier · Nov 7, 2017

Thanks for all the replies and info!

mshchem · Nov 7, 2017

The water here in Iowa is very hard. I put in an RO system for my darkroom. It's not distilled buts it's pretty close. I use RO for all solutions and for a final rinse for all prints fiber and RC. I have never used photo flo with prints, never had a problem. I do use Photo flo with all B&W film, even when using RO water. All my wash water (Hot and Cold) goes through separate 5 micron string wound whole house filters. Cruddy water is bad, and easy to fix.

Photo-flo use with Color RC paper

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency