slightly purple Tri-X ?

I just got into b/w film development myself. The first 4 rolls of Tri-X I
developed had an almost neutral transparent film base. However, the last
roll turned out to be quite purple, but still very transparent.

Now I did reuse the fixer, but according to my tests it was still ok. It
took about 1 minute to clear exposed film in it, and I fixed the film for 4
and a half minute.

For the rest I treated the films identically. First a 1 minute soak in
water. Then 8 minutes in ID11, 1 minute stop. All 20 degrees Celcius, take
or leave half a degree.

Is this due to differences in film batches, or was the fixer bad anyhow,
or... ?

Thanks.

Koen

Koen wrote:

I just got into b/w film development myself. The first 4 rolls of Tri-X I
developed had an almost neutral transparent film base. However, the last
roll turned out to be quite purple, but still very transparent.

Now I did reuse the fixer, but according to my tests it was still ok. It
took about 1 minute to clear exposed film in it, and I fixed the film for 4
and a half minute.

For the rest I treated the films identically. First a 1 minute soak in
water. Then 8 minutes in ID11, 1 minute stop. All 20 degrees Celcius, take
or leave half a degree.

Is this due to differences in film batches, or was the fixer bad anyhow,
or... ?

Thanks.

Koen


The same thing happens to me, and I can't explain it. I use Delta 400
most of the time, and process it the same way every time. Sometimes my
films come out pink and sometimes neutral gray. Doesn't seem to make
any difference in printing whatsoever, so I've stopped worrying about
it. It probably does have something to do with how few or many rolls
have run through your fixer, but I'll leave it the people who "discover"
my work after I'm gone to figure out; maybe it will generate some
articles in future photo journals trying to solve the mystery. I've had
some luck in getting more of the pink out by mixing my Perma-wash double
strength after the fixer, but even that doesn't get it all out
sometimes. I suspect Ph is involved, but don't know how exactly.

Larry

Somebody just told me it might be caused by insufficient fixing.
So I might try to refix the film and see what happens. It is cumbersome
however because I cut it already.

Thanks !

Koen

Koen wrote:

I just got into b/w film development myself. The first 4 rolls of Tri-X I
developed had an almost neutral transparent film base. However, the last
roll turned out to be quite purple, but still very transparent.


The same thing happened to me. I started doing LF and developing my own
films this year. I found that as my fixer got older, the negatives would
show blue or purple haze and or streaks. The solution in my case was to
first increase the fixer time and then to replace it when fixing became
unreasonably long.
cheers

--
regards from ::

John Bartley
43 Norway Spruce Street
Stittsville, Ontario
Canada, K2S1P5

( If you slow down it takes longer
- does that apply to life also?)

Ok Thanks. Do you know wether tis will have a considerable effect on the
lifespan of negatives ? If so I will have to refix them. If that is
possible.

Koen

Koen wrote:

Ok Thanks. Do you know wether tis will have a considerable effect on the
lifespan of negatives ? If so I will have to refix them. If that is
possible.

Koen


I'm sorry Koen, I don't know the answer to this. I've always (for the
short time I've been at it) checked the film, and then refixed right
away if necessary.

--
regards from ::

John Bartley
43 Norway Spruce Street
Stittsville, Ontario
Canada, K2S1P5

( If you slow down it takes longer
- does that apply to life also?)

Koen wrote:

I just got into b/w film development myself. The first 4 rolls of Tri-X I
developed had an almost neutral transparent film base. However, the last
roll turned out to be quite purple, but still very transparent.

Now I did reuse the fixer, but according to my tests it was still ok. It
took about 1 minute to clear exposed film in it, and I fixed the film for 4
and a half minute.

For the rest I treated the films identically. First a 1 minute soak in
water. Then 8 minutes in ID11, 1 minute stop. All 20 degrees Celcius, take
or leave half a degree.

Is this due to differences in film batches, or was the fixer bad anyhow,
or... ?

The recommendation from experts is to use only a rapid fixer with modern
Kodak films; I've read that the pink is supposed to be a dye that's
bound to halide, and if it remains it means some halide (probably
iodide) hasn't been fixed away. I've also heard that theory denied by a
former Kodak chemist, who claims it's just not washing out of the
gelatin and is harmless. It's a well known phenomenon in regards to new
Tri-X (400TX) as well as TMX and TMY, in both 35 mm and 120 formats.
I've never seen it in my own TMY or Tri-X in either format, but I use a
rapid fix and probably "overfix" by about 2x what I should -- commonly
up to ten minutes in film strength rapid fix, when clearing time while
fresh is under one minute. I don't use a hypo clearing agent, and use
the Ilford low-water wash method (fill, invert 5 times, drain; fill,
invert 10 times, draing; fill, invert 20 times, drain, fill and treat
with wetting agent).

However, I usually see the dye come off in the developer, which is
purplish when I pour it out. I wonder if the HC-110 I use is more
alkaline than your ID-11 -- it might well be, given that at similar
dilutions (B vs. 1:1) it's almost twice as fast working. Perhaps you
could try a soak in sodium carbonate solution after fix/hypo clear, and
before wash? Proportion probably isn't critical, a couple spoons in a
quarter liter of water should do. This should be more alkaline than the
borax accelerator in ID-11, and as a bonus may accelerate washing by
swelling the gelatin relative to the condition in an acid fixer.

--
I may be a scwewy wabbit, but I'm not going to Alcatwaz!
-- E. J. Fudd, 1954

Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer
Lathe Building Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm
Speedway 7x12 Lathe Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/my7x12.htm

Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth
and don't expect them to be perfect.

"Koen" . be wrote in
message ...
I just got into b/w film development myself. The first 4 rolls of Tri-X I
developed had an almost neutral transparent film base. However, the last
roll turned out to be quite purple, but still very transparent.

Now I did reuse the fixer, but according to my tests it was still ok. It
took about 1 minute to clear exposed film in it, and I fixed the film for
4
and a half minute.

For the rest I treated the films identically. First a 1 minute soak in
water. Then 8 minutes in ID11, 1 minute stop. All 20 degrees Celcius, take
or leave half a degree.

Is this due to differences in film batches, or was the fixer bad anyhow,
or... ?

Thanks.

Koen



The color you often see is residual sensitizing dye of some sort. It is not
the antihalation dye as this is decolored in the developer. Washing in
filtered tap water (I soak reels several times) will remove 95% of the
color. This residual color is not the direct result of poor fixing although
it will probably be obvious in poorly fixed film. Water alone will remove
it.

It sounds to me that you may be a little short on your fixing time to begin
with. I have always given at least an 8-minute fix, or even better, two
4-minute fixes in the two-bath system. Bath #1 for initial fix then rinse
and bath #2. After a few rolls, or plates, make a new bath #2 and use the
old #2 as your #1. Almost fool-proof and economical too.

Truly, dr bob.

P.S. Yes there can be startling differences in film batches as far as this
"color thing" goes.

Uzytkownik "Donald Qualls" napisal w
wiadomosci
I don't use a hypo clearing agent, and use
the Ilford low-water wash method (fill, invert 5 times, drain; fill,
invert 10 times, draing; fill, invert 20 times, drain, fill and
treat
with wetting agent).
Donald, is that without set-aside time? I actually heard many times it
is fill, ivert 5 times - set aside for 5 minutes - fill, invert 10
times, set aside ... and so on.
I'm a bit puzzled now ...

Regards
Magdalena

It's most likely exhausted fixer (or insuffucient fix time).. It
doesn't seem to take much to exhaust fixer when developing films.. I
do have a question, Why are you pre-soaking?? I've heard of it for
color films due to the temperatures, color papers in tubes for even
processing. But not for b&w films...

8) Jeff


"Koen" . be wrote in message ...
I just got into b/w film development myself. The first 4 rolls of Tri-X I
developed had an almost neutral transparent film base. However, the last
roll turned out to be quite purple, but still very transparent.

Now I did reuse the fixer, but according to my tests it was still ok. It
took about 1 minute to clear exposed film in it, and I fixed the film for 4
and a half minute.

For the rest I treated the films identically. First a 1 minute soak in
water. Then 8 minutes in ID11, 1 minute stop. All 20 degrees Celcius, take
or leave half a degree.

Is this due to differences in film batches, or was the fixer bad anyhow,
or... ?

Thanks.

Koen