RA4- CAN I PROCESS THE STABILIZER IN OPEN TRAYS?

[Flavia Daniele]

Goodmorning,

I'm printing with Bellini RA4 kit and I was wondering if I can finish the bleach in drum and then keep process the photo in a open tray of stab with the light on. Also what about the temperature? Should I mind it and keep mainteining it or can I leave it out?
Looking forward to hear your opinions!

 

[Donald Qualls]

You should be fine doing that. Once the developer step and stop bath is completed, even though the paper isn't technically insensitive, there'll be no more development; only printing-out (a slow process by comparison) will produce more silver, and that won't generate dye and will be bleached away in the bleach or blix.

Large temperature swings are generally bad, but even in C-41 and E-6, the baths after developer have significantly wider temperatue tolerance (several degrees vs. a fraction of a degree C). If temperature is a concern for you, you might want to be aware that RA-4 can be done at room temperature, too, obviating the need for water baths and close control. Takes longer, and will require rebalancing your filtration, but IMO it's worth that.

 

[halfaman]

Stabilizer is an optional step in RA4, you can finish after plain water rinse after bleach like in RC B/W prints. I do 3 rinses of 30 seconds in my Jobo changing water between them.

 

[Flavia Daniele]

Thank you so much for your opinions and suggestions!

 

[btaylor]

Room temp stabilizer in a tray works fine. I used a two bath roller transport machine that spit the print out into my stabilizer tray. No problems.