I took some 16x20 prints off the drying rack this morning. I had 8 of what were supposed to be the final good stuff. Unfortunately I noticed that 4 of them ha d pink stains on them. I have not seen this before. I know I cant't fix these, but I would like to avoid the problem in the future. I will list what I did an d perhaps someone can lend some insights into the stains. The prints are on For te fiber paper (variable contrast). They were developed in fresh Dektol at 1:4 for 4 minutes, stopped with 28% glacial acetic acid (45 ml/l of water), fixed at least 3 minutes in Kodak fixer and washed as described by Bruce Barnbaum. The prints were then dried and left for a few days. I then soaked them in water for about 15 minutes and put them in fresh fix for another 3 minutes. I spot bleach ed all of them in the same manor. Interestingly enough all the bleaching was do ne below the areas of the stains. The prints were stored in water awaiting toni ng. They were then toned in 1:30 Rapid Toner for 3 to 5 minutes and then washed thoughly. They were then squeegied (spelling) and the put face down on my rack s. Two possibilities are a dirty piece of plexiglass that I squeegied on and th e second fix was used imediately after mixing it and it was milky although every thing was dissolved. Any ideas ?
Bookmarks