Agfa Process..the final bath

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I have just begun to use the Agfachrome Process chemicals for E6 processing. The last step is the Final Bath and then drying. I am familar with B&W and I always do a final rinse in water and Photo-Flo. It appears to me that the Final Bath foams a bit like Photo-Flo might. My question is....should I do a final rinse of my chromes in water and Photo-Flo or will that harm them ? Thanks for your replies.

-- GreyWolf (dwd@telusplanet.net), September 10, 2000

Answers

Hi grey wolf,

Ii is not recommendable to rinse your slides after using the final bath. This bath contains substances which stabilize your slides. If you rinse your slides you wash out these substances. These substances prevent fading especially of the magenta coupling compound. That means that your slides will show a green color cast after a short time of storage since the magenta coupling compound will be destroyed.

Wolfgang

-- Wolfgang holz (wolfgangrh@gmx.net), September 11, 2000.


Do what the instructions say. As the other post points out, E6 process puts a stabilizer in the final bath. DO NOT rinse this off.

Most process chemicals also add a surfactant (which is what PhotoFlo is) to the final bath, so you are getting the same thing.

BTW Kodak Final Bath is not a stabilizing bath. They have a proprietary process that puts the stabilizer in the emulsion earlier, then activates it later.

The typical E6 stabilizer is formaldehyde. Be careful working with it.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), September 11, 2000.


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