Washing agent with printing?

[brian steinberger]

I was wondering if you should use a washing agent, such as heico perma-wash, in a tray when printing. If so, does it cut back on washing time such as when developing negatives?

[Brian C. Miller]

Yes, and yes! However, washing RC paper takes two minutes or so. A washing agent won't have that much effect as it does for fiber paper.

[brian steinberger]

ok, so how much time in the washing agent? And how much wash time afterward for RC and FB?

[Brian C. Miller]

It depends on the brand. Look on the back of the bottle, it will have guidlines. There was a discussion on washing agents recently, and there was some skepticism expressed at some of the shorter times with fiber paper.

The first test that seems to work (but its destructive if the paper isn't washed properly) is by toning with selenium. If the print isn't washed correctly, you will see a yellow stain. The second test is to use one of the Photographer's Formulary testing solution (http://www.photoformulary.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=2&tabid=9&CategoryID=37&langID=0) kit. The residual silver test kit isn't for testing for archival wash, though. Use the residual hypo test for that.

[Brian Ellis]

The instructions on the bottle of Heico PermaWash (if it's still being made) give dilutions and wash times for film and paper. I think their times are optimistic. I rinse film in water for the time stated on the bottle and agitate it in PermaWash for the time stated on the bottle but the instructions say to then wash for only a minute or two. I just don't trust that short a time so I wash film for 15 minutes in a continuous flow film washer (an old Salt Hill washer). There are similarly optimistic instructions for paper. Back when I printed in a dark room I used to wash fiber base paper for thirty minutes after first rinsing and going through the PermaWash for the times stated on the bottle rather than for the very few minutes the instructions say are needed.