C-41 processing for neophytes

[dpn]

I just did C-41 (Tetenal liquid press kit) for the first time last night. This thread was a major help. The film looks great! I only had two hiccups:

1. I dumped the stabilizer into the sink when I was finished with that step. D'oh! Force of habit from B&W processing, and excitement to see my negatives, I guess. I'll be buying more stabilizer! This isn't actually a bad thing, because ...

2. I added 5ml of Photoflo to the stabilizer, per recommendations I had found online. 5ml is just too much Photoflo. Crazy foam. I'm going to see if 2ml does the trick when I mix the replacement batch.

[Terry Christian]

dpn:

1. You can buy Kodak Final Rinse concentrate cheaply from Adorama, etc. Same stuff and it should last you years.
2. Don't add Photo-Flo to stabilizer. You don't need it.

[dpn]

I had read (don't ask me for sources, other than RFF posts and various folks' blog posts) that a washing aid should be added to the Tetenal press kit stabilizer.

I scanned the first roll of negatives, and I'm very happy with the results! Other than a slight yellow color shift, which I can live with, the negs came out great. They're clean too -- the sudsy stabilizer didn't appear to have had any detrimental effects.

[Terry Christian]

First, you may be confusing washing aid and wetting agent. Photo-Flo is a wetting agent, which helps water dry off the film without spots. Washing aid, like Ilford Washaid, Kodak HCA, Berg Bath, etc., helps to neutralize remaining fixer while washing so that wash times are reduced. Neither wash aid nor wetting agent have to be used in C-41 processing.
After your fix or blix step, wash film with water continuously for at least three minutes, then stabilize for a minute and a half to two minutes. It should be the last thing to touch the film. It has a wetting agent in it already, so nothing further is needed.

[dpn]

You're 100% correct -- I meant to refer to wetting agent.

When I went to search for the source recommending the addition of a wetting agent to the Tetenal stabilizer, I discovered that this is a subject that has been beaten to death on this and other fora:

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum40/1...tabilzers.html
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum40/1...tabilizer.html

My posts weren't meant to throw any more rocks at an agitated hornets nest, but instead share a couple mildly amusing anecdotes from a C-41 newbie. In any event, 1) I get to remix some stabilizer since I accidentally dumped it; and 2) adding the Photo-Flo to the stabilizer had zero visually noticeable effect on the negatives. They dried well, without spotting or water marks.

[Terry Christian]

No prob, dpn. Just see my earlier comment about the ability to buy stabilizer/final rinse separately. And I've tried adding Photo-Flo to stabilizer in the past, too, but got greasy spots on my film (undissolved Photo-Flo, which wiped off easily with a sponge).

[bvy]

You can mix it in small batches using a portion of each part of the solution in question such as Developer, Bleach, Fix or Stab/Final Rinse.

You can use each solution one time and dump or you can use them several times by increasing the development times according to the chart on the Kodak web site. (This is a good exercise for the student! )

I suggest that you use a 1 - 2% Acetic Acid stop after the development step for uniformity, and I suggest a prewet.

Maybe you've covered this, PE (I can't imagine there's anything you haven't covered here at least once) but does the prewet require a further increase in development time? I might run up to ten rolls with my Rollei/Digibase mini kit. With prewetting I imagine the developer becomes pretty diluted after several rolls. I actually haven't been prewetting (for better or worse) and of course I lose some developer with each run. It becomes a little more exhausted with each run, but not diluted.

Thoughts? Am I splitting hairs?

[Photo Engineer]

A prewet does dilute the developer. Since I toss mine, IDK what the change in times would be. Sorry.

PE

[macandal]

A prewet does dilute the developer. Since I toss mine, IDK what the change in times would be. Sorry.

PE

You only use your chemistry once?

[Photo Engineer]

It is the safest way, especially when I do a lot of film at one time! I use 1L in a large Jobo tank and do 12 or more 4x5 sheets or 4 120 rolls or more in one session. I use Kodak chemistry.

And, the prewet is more important than anything else I can suggest. See the big test on this here on APUG.

PE