Printing with 2X fixing baths

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Has anybody done long term studies of prints that were fixed with 2 fixing baths versus a single fixing of prints. Lets say that two prints were fixed with fixer that isn't exhausted and one got a second fix with fresh fixer. Would one last longer? :confused:

 

[PVia]

Double fixing is the preferred method for archival prints.

 

[kauffman v36]

you could go a step further and do: dev -> stop bath -> water bath -> fix 1 -> fix 2. but i think thats a bit overkill.

 

[pentaxuser]

If I recall a post by Ralph Lambrecht, he shows that double fixing also saves money. He may respond here but a search of APUG should get you to his post

pentaxuser

 

[Ian Grant]

There's been a lot of testing done over the years, it's the most effective and economic way of fixing fibre based prints prints for archival permanence, it's not as necessary with films & RC papers.

Ian

 

[bdial]

I have some prints that are going on 30 years that were fixed with one bath. They are still looking ok. Now I use two, but I'm only a few years into the comparison.

In 30 more years, I'm not sure I'll care what they look like.:confused:

 

[Worker 11811]

Isn't the main concern for preservation of prints to get all the fixer out?

In other words, fix by whatever method you believe is best but, afterward, you need to use a fixer remover/wash agent then be sure the print is rinsed long enough to get all the residue out of the paper. Right?

(e.g. 5 min. in hypo clearing agent followed by 60 to 90 minutes wash in running water?)

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

True but...

Isn't the main concern for preservation of prints to get all the fixer out?

In other words, fix by whatever method you believe is best but, afterward, you need to use a fixer remover/wash agent then be sure the print is rinsed long enough to get all the residue out of the paper. Right?

(e.g. 5 min. in hypo clearing agent followed by 60 to 90 minutes wash in running water?)

It's true. But if you prints aren't fixed where all the light sensitive silver isn't removed, you prints will fade. Washing the prints to remove all fixer removes the sulfur compounds that will eventually tarnish the metallic silver on your prints.

 

[George Collier]

I use 2 baths because I want to be sure they are fixed. I give half of the time in each (plus draining to be sure). Most of my printing is 8x10 (exploratory and working out "recipes") and 16x20 for finals.
Every time I go to print 16x20 (maybe 4 - 5 times a year) I dump the 1st bath and rotate the 2nd to be the 1st and make a new 2nd (this with TF4, and now TF5, which is more convenient since I can mix only enough working as I need from the concentrate).
I am probably not fully exhausting the 1st bath every time, but as much as I print, it's not an issue.
I use a 2bath method for films also, although they say it's not necessary.

 

[Ian C]

It’s just as important to get all of the silver salts out of the paper.

Too, a complex of silver-sodium-thiosulfate compounds form during fixing if the fixer, say, bath #1 is partially exhausted. If any of that junk is retained in the emulsion then no amount of washing will remove it as it isn’t water soluble.

This is incomplete fixing and is most responsible for print staining over time. It might take years, but if it happens, the staining is permanent and cannot be corrected.

But, by following bath #1 with a fresh bath #2, these compounds are dissolved as they are soluble in fresh fixer.

Yes, of course the fixer must be well washed out to make the print as permanent as possible, but that’s a secondary consideration.

 

[Ian Grant]

It's the semi soluble Silver / Thiosulphate intermediary complexes formed during fixing that can be retained, parts of the fixing process are an equilibrium process and the balance tips in partially spent or heavily used fixers. These complexes can bond with the cellulose fibres in FB papers and later breakdown to cause problems to the image stability.

So using two bath fixing keeps the balance in your favour,

Ian