Does anyone know if Oriental Seagull can be safely processed with the Ilford Arc hival Processing Sequence (I believe it's two 1 minute fix baths with film stren gth rapid fixer, or something like that)? I've been processing Galerie with the Ilford sequence, but Oriental's web site says nothing of the sort. If I remember correctly, they recommend long fix times and very long was times (without a hyp o clearing agent).
If I remember correctly it was Ansel Adams and Barbara Morgan that in the early sixties defined and advocated archival processing of B/W prints. The idea was to fix well but not over fix to, treat against hypo with hypo clearing agent. To take care that each print would get thorough washing, to tone with selenium to increase permanence and to air dry to avoid contamination from dyer aprons. The Ilford Sequence is based upon their Ilford Hypam speed fix full strength. One minute in a used fix and an other minute in a fresh one but with a lot of agitation. During those two short minutes only a minimal amount of hypo can penetrate into the paper fibers and so you can wash in a shorter time. The fresh hypo bath and the agitation guarantees that the silver is fully fixed which is important for the washing because complex silver compounds that are formed by inadequate fixing are difficult to get out of the paper. To save time you can mix hypo clearing/perma wash(freshly made) with selenium toner (4 liters working solution with 200cc Selenium toner and 50 grams Kodak balances alkali). To my best of knowledge and experience this goes for all bromide and chloride papers
Here is what Oriental says on their web page regarding washing of New Seagull G fiber based paper:
"Prints should be washed for 90 minutes. While they are in the bath, take care that the prints do not become placed one on top of the other. If you use a hypo-cleaning agent, washing time can be reduced by half. For shortening washing time, after fixing, wash in running water for five minutes. Then use a 2% anhydrous sodium sulfite solution at 20? C for 2-3 minutes and wash in running water for 45 minutes."
In the above text, the sodium sulfite is the chemical equivalent of Hypo Clearing Agent. There is no significant difference between Seagull and Ilford Gallerie FB papers; therefore, the Ilford Archival Processing Sequence should work just as well for both papers.
Seagull does, indeed, work with the Ilford Archival Sequence. In addition, it is one of the few papers (Forte being another) in which you can go from the fix into a holding bath, for the length of your printing session.....then directly into selenium toner, without getting stains.
I have been using Forte and Oriental Seagull in the lford Archival Sequence for a few years and agree with others who posted here that the sequence works well with those papers. Actually Ilford first suggested a single 30 second film strength fix. later however, after much experimentation and comment I believe they changed that to a one minute film strength fix. That is the system i use. My only caveat is that I change fix .75 gallon for 11x14 prints , every ten or so prints. Bob
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