I've been getting a pink colored stain on some RC prints that are 1 or more years old. I'm guessing they are either improperly fixed or washed. I'm pretty careful about fix and wash times, choosing to error on the long side especially with washing. I have not tested them for residual fixer and plan to do this next. If anyone knows this to be a telltale sign of something I'm doing wrong I would appreciate any advise. thanks

-- Todd Spitler (tspitler@lancnews.infi.net), May 16, 2000

Answers

I agree that the problem is likely to be in the fixing or washing. Overlong washing might cause physical damage, but I doubt that it could result in stains. Overlong fixing might.

You should also check the quality of your fixer: is it exhauseted, or has it been used for films? Could it have been contaminated?

-- Alan Gibson (Alan@snibgo.com), May 16, 2000.

Sounds like insufficient fixing to me. You can test for remaining silver salts in the print with a drop of sulphide toner on the white margin. Leave it for about 5 minutes, then wash the print thoroughly. If the spot turns more than a pale cream colour (with respect to a white base) there are silver salts left in the print. You could try re-fixing, and re-washing if that's the case.

The test for remaining fixer is the same as above, except that you use a drop of Silver Nitrate solution instead of Sodium Sulphide. This test should be done in the dark.

The end result of both tests is Silver Sulphide in the presence of the material being tested for.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), May 17, 2000.

Definitely insufficient fixing.

-- (edbuffaloe@unblinkingeye.com), May 17, 2000.

I've had this happen in the past with insufficient/exhausted fixing, and re-fixing got rid of a fair amount of the pink. And some of those prints are now 2 years old...FWIW

-- shawn (shawngibson_prophoto@yahoo.com), May 17, 2000.

It doesn't take much use for fixer to stop working completely. Give two bath fixing a try.

-- Tim Brown (brownt@ase.com), May 18, 2000.

Todd This may be one of the inherent weaknesses of the RC papers made by Ilford and Agfa. Without archival toning in sistan, gold, selenium etc the image will deteriorate to make colloidal silver come to the surface of the print. This can appear brownish, pinkish or mirror silver in colour. (I believe you when you say you take pains to fix properly.....although a lot of your respondents tell you it is insufficient fixing!) It is particularly apparent when the images are put behind glass and they deteriorate over some 1-3 years. Pretty poor effort on behalf of Agfa and Ilford really when they have not admitted to this problem for a long time. Many of my prints have to be redone at great expense and time. The solution is to use archiving toners, and then they are SUPPOSED to be archival. Your only solution is to reprint and tone for archival. Sistan by Agfa does not add any tone but just stabilises. Cheers David Strachan

-- David Strachan (strachan@cww.octec.org.au), May 24, 2000.

When I print photos I care about it is only on fibre based paper,RC is ok for work that needs to be done quickly and "cheaply" I use it for actors head shots which are always being updated or for a print that will be reproduced in a newspaper or magazine but for anything going into a frame and onto a wall it will be a two bath fixed print,selinium toned. I also use a two bath method for my RC as well.

-- Stephen Mitchell (mitmad@telus.net), June 08, 2000.