Wash the back of the Print?

When I wash my B&W resin-coated prints, I noticed that they tend to lie very flat in the wash tray, almost sticking to the bottom of it. The great majority of the wash-water flow is on the surface of the paper, and very little on the bottom. This got me thinking. Is it necessary to thoroughly wash the back of a sheet of B&W RC paper?

Jim B.

It is not -- in theory it is just a resin-coated surface, so it should wash off quickly.

Edited to add: In practice, I agree with Ian and it is important that all of the print is well washed.

As Vaughan says it takes very little washing but the problems would arise if a poorly washed back of a print came into contact with the surface of another print later. So it's important to ensure prints wash feely without sticking to each other or the wash tray.

Ian

Good Afternoon, Jim,

Since you're tray washing (Kodak Tray Siphon??), just put the print in face down. Every brand of RC paper I've ever used will float. Minor pressure at the start will be enough to put the back of the print slightly under water. As Ian indicates, be sure to keep prints separated.

Konical

Doesn't hurt to shuffle them during the wash either.

I use an archival washer which solves the agitation problem but is not really great on flow rate and number of water exchanges. Choosing a washer is not an easy thing. But I also thoroughly rinse my prints in running water right after fixing. The idea was to let them pile up, damp, in a tray before transferring them to the washer. But it also ensures that the back is pretty well rinsed clear of hypo.