Stop Baths and Fixers

Surely, it is the result that counts, no matter how it is achieved. A photographer can even become a prisoner of his own rules. Unless he invents new ones, he will soon copy himself, and his work will become sterile and repetitive. 

It is important to provide a buffer between the developer and the fixer. This is because the fixer will rapidly exhaust if it is contaminated with developer. Maintaining the activity of the fixer is of utmost importance to the longevity of negatives and prints. 

Whether or not to use an acid stop bath or a plain running-water bath has been a longstanding controversy among photographers. There are two reasons cited for using an acid stop bath. First, it arrests development in the shortest possible time. The second is, That s the way I was taught.  

Even so, the disadvantages to using acid stop bath are  

If an acid bath is to be used there are two methods to prevent pinholes from occurring. 

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The amount of time required for a thorough wash depends on the type of fixer and whether or not a hypo clearing agent is used. This will be discussed in Chapter 9 Stop Baths and Fixers. 

As with developers and the stop bath, having adequate ventilation wearing goggles, aprons, and gloves and avoiding inhalation or ingestion of fixer solutions will minimize health risks. 

Developers should be kept in brown amber glass bottles, particularly if stored for more than a few weeks. This is because developers easily oxidize and lose their potency when exposed to air and/or light. Plastic bottles breathe and will speed the rate of oxidation. High-density polyethylene storage bottles are suitable for solutions of fixer, stop bath, bromide, carbonate, and just about anything except developers. 

Because of pyro s self-hardening properties it is not necessary to use fixers containing hardener. If you wish to use an acid stop bath after the water rinse a good fixer to use is Kodak F-24 Nonhardening Acid Fixer. Otherwise, use plain running water and Photographers Formulary TF-4 Fixer (recommended). 

Stop using stop baths altogether. Instead, substitute a one minute running water bath between the developer and fixer, for both film and paper. If running water is not available fill the tray or tank with fresh water, agitate for 20 to 30 seconds, dump, and repeat three times. 

Use either a citric acid stop bath or running water and an alkaline fixer. It is essential not to use an acid hardening fixer with any developer containing sodium phosphate. 

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