How archival would......

[Matt5791]

Thanks for all the response - the main reason I asked is for the purposes of trying to conserve water (although we normally have more than enough of this in the UK!) and also time.

I love Fibre prints - for the time being I'm going to be sticking with maybe 2 mins fix in two baths followed by 10 mins HCA followed by a minimum of half hour wash in an archival washer. I am in a soft water area too.

The question still remains about a lot of old work prints I have from 30+ years ago - maybe they were given the full treatment??

Matt

Matt

[dancqu]

... - the main reason I asked is for the
purposes of trying to conserve water ...Matt

For a Least water method of washing search
for, separator picker . Less than $5. Dan

[pentaxuser]

The question still remains about a lot of old work prints I have from 30+ years ago - maybe they were given the full treatment??

Matt

Matt

I have often wondered about this myself. I have small prints of my father and uncle going back to 1937 and 1940 respectively. The post card size print of my uncle has stood in a frame in full daylight for nearly 70 years. No signs of deterioration in either that I can see although the one of my father has sat in a box for many years. Maybe both received full archival washing but they are small and I suspect cheap prints so I'd be surprised if the studio in one case and the processor, probably the local chemists, in the other spent a lot of time on washing.

Most people and my family amongst them have framed snapshots from 50-60 yrs ago which have been in albums or in boxes with other snaps and they seem as good now as they were when first handed over by the processor.

pentaxuser

[Rich Ullsmith]

I follow Tim Rudman's guidance in his Toning Book. While the effects of weak fixing (or allowing the complexes to soak into the base with long fixes) or short washing may not appear in the next few generations, if you try bleaching and redeveloping, or toning (particularly gold) then you will see the effects immediately.

[rjas]

or toning (particularly gold) then you will see the effects immediately.

I forgot to mention, I usually selenium tone, and I read in some kodak literature that a 1:9 selenium toner mix would be a good way to check for adequate fixing, something about orange spots where the print isn't fixed or something? I tone most of my prints at about this concentration after my 2 minute 1:9 fix and have never gotten adverse affects. I try to spend as little time as necassary in the dark