PMK AFTER BATH????

Hi All,

I am struggling to understand the purpose of the PMK Pyro After Fix Bath.
I am using TF-4 fixer, and follow Photo Formulary's instructions for a two minute After Bath in the used developer.

(I have read past posts in the APUG Search files but would like to know the most up-to-date info on this).

Does the After Bath increase image stain ? or does it just increase overall stain?

Is this step necessary? How many of you skip the After Bath & why?

Many thanks and the best for the New Year.

Joseph

I skip it. I think even Gordon Hutchings has decided it is unnecessary and may only increase overall stain. I do use alkaline fixer and no acid stop bath.

I don't think there's been much new information on this in the last year or so.

Gordon Hutchings is now suggesting that it's not necessary with an alkaline fixing bath, and he seems to think it improves the grain masking effect.

Many (myself included) believe that it only increases the background stain and lowers contrast, so I don't do it.

It's fairly easy to test this. Shoot some film with two exposures of similar images, preferably with some large areas of middle tone and a good tonal range, and give one version the afterbath and skip it with the other, make some prints, and judge for yourself. If you're shooting rollfilm, you could just make the test exposures the last two on the roll, maybe with a blank or two in between for easier neg handling, then just clip one exposure at the end of the process and don't do the afterbath with the test frame and do the afterbath with the rest of the roll (or vice versa).

Thanks Pat & David, I will run a test and see if I can tell whats up with post development stain. J.F.W.

I have just printed two 35mm T-Max 100 negatives (of same scene, same exposure, etc.) Negative #1 was with After Bath and Negative #2 was without After Bath. The After Bath print had better mid-tones and lower-tones separation. So, I guess I will continue to use the 2 minute After Bath of used PMK develoepr. Thanks again for your input.