developed my first negatives in thirty years last night. as a kid, I remember having problems with a magenta tint in the base of my Plus/Tri-X films. this has been addressed here as a fixer based problem, and I am wondering if the very light gray/purple tinge I see on the light table is normal for HP5+ (ID-11/stock, 7.5 minutes) or if I did not fix/wash adequately.

-- Daniel Taylor (aviator@vernonia.com), June 16, 1999

Answers

Slightly purple is normal. The magenta/purple tint many complain about is not a fixer problem; it's insufficient removal of sensitizing dyes. To remove it give 3-5 min in film-strength rapid fixer, then two mins in a wash aid such as Perma Wash or Orbit Bath, then a 20-min wash. You can make your own inexpensive wash aid by dissolving a tablespoon of sodium sulfite in a quart of water.

-- John Hicks / John's Camera Shop (jbh@magicnet.net), June 16, 1999.