Pink or Magenta Cast with T-max, new Tri-X, and other films (not blue or green cast)

[laser]

I suggest the the following:

The pinkish appearance is the result of sensitizing dye that is adsorbed onto the surface of the T-Max tabular grains. The dye modifies the AgX sensitivity to so the resulting sensitivity resembles the human visual system. The high aspect ratio of tabular grains provides a large area for the dye to adsorb on the surface.

In processing the dissolving of unexposed AgX will release the dye so it can diffuse out of the emulsion. Therefore, complete fixing is an effective way to reduce the dye retention.

If the dyes remain in the emulsion because of incomplete fixing and/or washing they can fade if exposed to light. Sensitizing dyes do not have to have light fastness in order to be good sensitizing dyes.

Recommendation: Use ammonium thiosufate fixer (Rapid Fixer) as recommended and you will not have have residual retained dye. It is easy to do.

[Stuggi]

Nobody seems to have had the same experience with T-Max as I've had, so I'll add mine here;

The only time I've seen colour in the chemicals after using them since I switched to HC-110 is when parts of the negative have been unexposed. It has happened twice to me, once with a friends roll of 120 400TX, where half the roll was unexposed, the developer came out red (slightly yellow when it went in the tank.) and the stop water (I use a minute of constant agitation with water as stop) came out blue. The fixer was completely the same colour as it went in though and the negs looked normal.

The other time was when I developed a roll of 100TMX for a friend last saturday. Here only 13 frames of the whole roll were exposed. The developer came out normal, but the stop was slightly pink. Then the fixer came out slightly more pink, and the subsequent 3 plain water washes were all even more pink. The neg was completely normal though.

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Tri-X and TMax are different.

The reason you got color in developer, fix, and wash water with TMax is because of the dyes. That happens to me too, but it's less pronounced if you pre-rinse the film. It's normal. Just continue to wash the film in plain water, and after a while it will be all gone. Fix for five minutes with rapid fix and ten minutes with standard (non-rapid) fix. TMax need more fixing time.

About the Tri-X, I am not sure. But it would need to be answered in a different thread.

Nobody seems to have had the same experience with T-Max as I've had, so I'll add mine here;

The only time I've seen colour in the chemicals after using them since I switched to HC-110 is when parts of the negative have been unexposed. It has happened twice to me, once with a friends roll of 120 400TX, where half the roll was unexposed, the developer came out red (slightly yellow when it went in the tank.) and the stop water (I use a minute of constant agitation with water as stop) came out blue. The fixer was completely the same colour as it went in though and the negs looked normal.

The other time was when I developed a roll of 100TMX for a friend last saturday. Here only 13 frames of the whole roll were exposed. The developer came out normal, but the stop was slightly pink. Then the fixer came out slightly more pink, and the subsequent 3 plain water washes were all even more pink. The neg was completely normal though.

[holmburgers]

About the Tri-X, I am not sure. But it would need to be answered in a different thread.

Why? Look at the title of the thread.

Last night I developed 4 rolls; 2 T-max 100 and 2 Tri-x 400. I did them in that order, 2 at a time. My tri-x came out pink while my Tmax came out fine. 2-step fix, 5 minutes for each fix. I did reuse the fix, adding 200mL to the second 2 rolls since those were in a plastic tank instead of s.s.

Anyways, it's an annoying problem. I plan to switch to PF's TF5 fixer which hopefully will do a better/quicker job than Kodak Fixer.

[msa]

TXP (the 'new' Tri-X) contains the same dyes. It's not nearly as hard to clear as it is with the T-Max films, but FWIW, Tri-X is still affected, and this thread is intended to cover both.

Changing fixer, won't fix it, sorry.

You still need hypo clear and a good long wash to clear the pink.

[holmburgers]

I believe PE (Ron) states somewhere that the problem is exacerbated by acid fixers, due to Osmium molecules, yadda yadda.. etc., such as and so forth.

I thought TF5 was more of an alkaline fixer, hence that comment.

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Why? Look at the title of the thread.

My bad.
Still doesn't make me an expert on Tri-X film, though, since I have virtually no experience with it.

[hpulley]

I was shocked the first roll of T-Max I processed, the pink developer was quite a surprise. Can you even re-use developer that is full of that stuff? If so I'd pre-soak like I do for Portra which has a similarly shocking green dye in it but I always pre-soak for C41 anyways. The T-Max I got clear with HCA as my second wash cycle, came out quick.

[Greg Davis]

From my extensive washing test I can say that T-Max will clear of all dye if processed with a HCA and proper wash. Tri-X is harder to clear of all dye, but allowing it to soak for 5 minutes twice in fresh water between the HCA and running water wash will do the trick.

[holmburgers]

So refixing isn't necessarily called for? That's good to know...