Last week, I had fixed a print in non hardening fixer, properly washed it for 1 hour and let it air dry. Before toning the print last night I gave the print a good soaking in fresh water and transfered the print into a fresh batch of fixer for two minutes. I then placed the print Kodak Rapid selenium 1-10 and pulled it out when I had the split I desired. Then it went into a fresh batch of hypo clear for a minute and washed. The problem I have is a slight overall darkening of the paper base - a cream color. The print now lacks the sparkle I was after. The other prints I toned did not have this problem. Any suggestions as to what may have happened and how it may be remedied?

Thank you all.

-- Mark Gilles (mgilles@heart.org), November 06, 2001

Answers

Mark: If you've properly fixed the print the first time around, and then washed it, try taking the washed print and toning it. In other words, don't refix it before you go to the toner. If there is residual fixer in the print when it goes into the toner it can cause orange or cream colored staining.

-- Kevin Crisp (KRCrisp@aol.com), November 06, 2001.

I have always been told you can go straight into the selenium toner from the fix. This has never worked for me. Now I go to the hypo clear after the fix for 3 or 4 minutes and then rinse off each print before going into the toner. After the toner they go back into water and then back to the hypo clear for another 3 or 4 minutes and then wash. I have no more staining problems.

-- Paul Mongillo (pmongillo@thurston.com), November 06, 2001.

I know there are many different schools of thought regarding the toning process. Previously, I have had good results with simply soaking a dry, properly fixed and washed print, in a plain water bath prior to toning - followed by hypo clear and a wash.

Perhaps I should clarify my question. Now that the print has this overall stain, is there any way to clear it? Will a another, longer bath of hypo clear help?

I download this forum daily to my Palm and have read it in bed before I konk out. This community has been a great source of inspiration and learning along my LF journey. Thanks again.

-- Mark Gilles (mgilles@heart.org), November 06, 2001.

Sorry Mark, I don't think there is any going back once you get the staining you are talking about. I actually have a print that I had the same problem with matted and hanging here in my office. It is still a very nice print. I probably tend to tone longer than most so the staining is not that unappealing to me (1:30 water and Kodak rapid selenium for up to 10 minutes)

-- Paul Mongillo (pmongillo@thurston.com), November 07, 2001.