Stop bath way too pale.

[Dave Krueger]

I just mixed up some fresh Kodak Indicator Stop Bath and after a while the normal yellow color faded into a very pale yellow. I assume it has something to do with the water, but my last batch had the normal deep yellow color to it.

I mixed it from a bottle of concentrate that is about half full. It has the typical deep yellow color to it.

I'm thinking of pitching it and mixing up some new stuff with distilled water....

Anyone have this happen to them before?

-Dave

 

[jeroldharter]

The color is related to the indicator not the acid. I never use stop bath to exhaustion anyway so I would use it. Also, dilute stop bath is unlikely to hurt anything. On the other hand, stop bath is so cheap that you should re-mix if you are anxious about it.

 

[Vaughn]

yellow

I have noticed that the strength of the yellow gets weaker over time (during storage). Should have no effect on its effectiveness.

Vaughn

 

[clogz]

It's a SIGN!!! From Kodak's CEO telling you to go digital.

 

[photographs42]

You can feel when it’s working if you handle your prints with your hands (rather than with tongs). The print should go from slimy to not slimy in around 10 to 15 seconds. As Jerold said, it’s so cheap you should throw it out after each session anyway so it shouldn’t go bad.

I stopped using indicator stop bath about 20 years ago because I didn’t like the yellow stain on quickly washed test prints. When printing images with delicate highlights, the yellow stain makes it difficult to judge the highlight values. So, I use 1 ¼ oz. of acidic acid to 1 gal. of water. It costs next to nothing.
Jerome

 

[Dave Krueger]

Well, one thing's for sure. It still has the strong smell. I normally use tongs, but will do a finger check when I do test strips. I don't rely on the stop to halt development, but do use it to prevent the carry-over of alkaline developer into the fix.

 

[Gerald Koch]

Indicator stopbath is just a waste of money. Just buy plain acetic acid.

BTW, a stopbath is not needed for film.