will the damaged picture last?

If a picture is properly printed and fixed but not rinsed enough and after a little while showing colour changes, will it last if rinsed again?

nope

It may not have been properly fixed in the first place. you can try and refix it, but the color changes may still remain. This happens every once in awhile, where a student of mine rushes the chemical processes by counting too fast. When I hit the lights to evaluate them, you see them change into a purplish color quickly, which at this point i turn off the lights quickly, and drop them back in the fixer. it gets rid of a good deal of that color shift, but areas still somtimes retain a yellowing.

sarahfoto said:

If a picture is properly printed and fixed but not rinsed enough and after a little while showing colour changes, will it last if rinsed again?

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No, but toning it with sulphide might help.

Newt_on_Swings said:

It may not have been properly fixed in the first place. you can try and refix it, but the color changes may still remain. This happens every once in awhile, where a student of mine rushes the chemical processes by counting too fast. When I hit the lights to evaluate them, you see them change into a purplish color quickly, which at this point i turn off the lights quickly, and drop them back in the fixer. it gets rid of a good deal of that color shift, but areas still somtimes retain a yellowing.

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The solution is simple; your fixer is too cold. That's why your student turns purple when you drop him/her into it in the dark.

kevs said:

The solution is simple; your fixer is too cold. That's why your student turns purple when you drop him/her into it in the dark.

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better the fixer than the vat of acid next to it!

If a print is not washed properly then it contains silver in form of silver thiosulphate. Together with the Hydrogen sulfide in the atmosphere it gives silver sulphide, which shows funny colors.

But why will they not last if they in the end are rinsed properly?
I made big liquid emulsion prints, knowing they usually take longer to fix I used fresh fixer and left them in there for longer. Problem was lack of space, I had to leave them out of the tray for a while, before rinsing them.
This gave them a little change of colour, which I don't mind but is the silver sulphide bad for the picture?
I might try and tone them but afraid the emulsion might get damaged. Maybe I'll try toning the students first and see if they last...

Sarahphoto,

I'm not sure you're getting answers to your specific question.

Here's mine

My short answer is, "Yes, the prints will last (longer) if you re-wash them properly."

What you will not change, however, is any damage that has already been done to the print, either visible or invisible. Discoloration is usually permanent. Keep in mind,also, that there may now be invisible non-soluable silver compounds in your print that may yet discolor at a later time. There's nothing you can do about that.

That said, if the problem was underwashing (and even underfixing) you can (refix and) wash the print at a later time and remove all the soluble silver thiosulfate compounds and thereby extend the life of your print significantly. Of course, the sooner you get the print properly (fixed and) washed, the less damage is likely to occur in the future.

I would recommend soaking the prints, then refixing in fresh fixer, a treatment with a wash-aid followed by a full fix in fresh fixer. While the result may still show defects, the print should not be much more permanent than it was prior to proper washing.

That said, if there are print defects, the better solution may be to simply make another print and process it properly. However, it it is a "one-of-a-kind" and you only have the print, then go ahead and do your best to save it.

Hopes this "clears things up,"

Doremus Scudder
www.DoremusScudder.com

Doremus Scudder said:

Sarahphoto,


What you will not change, however, is any damage that has already been done to the print, either visible or invisible. Discoloration is usually permanent. Keep in mind,also, that there may now be invisible non-soluable silver compounds in your print that may yet discolor at a later time. There's nothing you can do about that.

Doremus Scudder
www.DoremusScudder.com

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I think I put my question out there a bit blurry from the beginning, thank you for the replies though. The prints are fully fixed and fully washed, the only thing is a minor delay inbetween these actions, wich created some colour changes. Since they are 50/60cm big liquid emulsion prints, and a pain to make, I will not take a chance and sell them, but exhibit them and then hang on my wall, if they discolor later only I can see it.
Maybe come spring I will feel up to making some more and invest in another big tray...

// Sarah