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javierternero
26-Mar-2017, 12:11
Hello all,
Today I have been doing some Albumen printing. I could not get hot water and the fixer was very cold, I would say around 15ºC. I was using two baths of 15% “Hypo” and as the temperature was quite low I gave the print 5 min in each baths. The print looked like it was fine but as by experience I know badly fixed Albumens can start getting yellow highlights even after a few days, I was thinking to re fix the print tomorrow. I have never tried before. It would somehow be a bad idea?, can be done?.
Any advice will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Javier

koraks
26-Mar-2017, 13:15
Can be done and should be no problem, although I doubt it will make much of a difference. 2x5mins in 15% hypo at 15C is already quite extensive despite the lower temperature. Also, I suspect that if there's any damage, it will already be done by the time the print dries over a couple of days; you may not get remaining silver or hypo complexes to 'fix' out anymore. But it won't hurt to try.
Them albumen prints sure are a b*tch to fix and wash properly...

Cor
29-Mar-2017, 02:38
Highlights in Albumen prints will always stay yellowish anyway no matter how long you fix, it's inherent to the system..

Cor

Robert Brazile
29-Mar-2017, 06:36
Unless you tint the albumen a bit to counteract the yellow, which is a thing. I've seen the results; can be very appealing with the right subject.

Robert

Bruce Schultz
29-Mar-2017, 07:15
Tinting with what Robert? I've tinted salt prints with watercolors, but the glossy albumen surface doesn't allow the watercolors to penetrate like the surface of salt prints.

Robert Brazile
29-Mar-2017, 11:10
Bruce, the trick is to add the color to the albumen while liquid rather than after it has dried, and then coating the paper with it. Here is a photo of Mark Osterman demonstrating this:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/582/20795021171_49e6f5e147_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/xFzViM)
D71_9470, Coating with dyed albumen (https://flic.kr/p/xFzViM) by Robert Brazile (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rbrazile/), on Flickr

It's obviously global rather than local, but you don't have to go as strong as Mark did for the demonstration. I gather it depends on the subject and what you're trying to accomplish...

Robert