Originally Posted by
robc
So where did this idea of alkaline fix come from?
I have seen people state that acid fixers affect highlight detail in B+W prints. However, I have also seen statements that giving a little extra exposure puts the detail back and since you judge your print by how it looks you don't have to worry about it since regardless of which you use, you will adjust contrast and time to get the detail you want.
Alkaline fix has been recommended for use with staining developers because it increases stain. However, I have seen no explanation to support this. Alkaline fix for colour work is rquired because acid destroys the dyes in colour materials.
In black and white acid can have a bleaching affect but again that is compensated for by exposure and development time as part of your normal testing procedure.
I think its largely paranoia. Someone once said acid is bad and now lots of people fear it. If alkaline was better, the manufacturers would have used it since they always tried to get the best results out of their materials.
If it worries you, then get some AGFA(A&O) FX Universal which is a very mildly akaline fixer which is designed for use in colour mini labs but works fine on B+W. It is also very cheap.
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