Purple Negs

[christine2]

In processing Black & White film, such as Kodak Plus-X and Tri-X, what

creates the film to take on a purple tint. The negatives are fine but

the film looks purple. I've heard iron in the water to under fixing?

Any ide

[alan_gibson1]

If you bring up the 'uncategorized' questions, a long list, you will

see quite a few on this topic.

 

<p>

 

In a nutshell: if the film has a very slight but totally even tint,

don't worry about it. If the tint it uneven, it may be

insufficuiently fixed. Re-fix it. Some people recommend a hypo

clearing agent.

[brian_hinther]

This is strange, because purple negatives usually come from the newer

technology films like T-Max and Delta. How long are you fixing? Kodak

Fixer requires as much as 10 minutes, and Kodak Rapid Fix needs up to

5 minutes. I also think Hypo Clearing Agent helps (1= minutes) and a

lot of the color will wash out in at least a 5 minute wash at 68

degrees where the water changes twice a minute.

[alan_gibson1]

The older technologies can take on an overall purple tinge, with

different batches showing diferent colours. Perhaps it depends on the

quality of the grass eaten by the cows?

[tim_brown]

Do two bath fixing with a rapid fixer and use HCA or Permawash and

you'll never have this problem. See

www.aseonline.net/~brownt/photomain for details.

[eielrt_anders]

Brian is correct. Fix for 10 minutes in Kodak fixer and treat with

hypo clearing agent for two minutes. Make sure the fixer and

clearing agent are fresh. I agitate for five seconds at the minute

and half minute. TMax films require more extended fixing than other

films, and also exhaust the fixer more rapidly.

 

<p>

 

I just recently developed several rolls of TMax 100 with XYTOL

developer and the procedure described above, and have no purple tint

in my negatives.

[wayne3]

I concur with the above. I recently developed my first B&W in many

years (FP4+, XTOL), and they came out purply-pink. On my second try I

fixed for about 10 minutes and HCA'ed for at least 5, and they came

out clear.

 

<p>

 

Wayne

[richard jepsen]

During the last few months I noticed Tri-X has changed and now has

the dreaded iodine look which some may call purple. I tried fixing

for a longer period of time but a longer time in a water bath is the

answer. After a clear bath, let the film stand for about 7 min in a

water rinse with 2 or 3 changes of water. Then rinse for 5 min under

running water. Experiment on the film leader to check fix and stain

clear times. The film will still have a slight iodine cast which I

find pychologically unpleasent compared to the gray cast of AGFA

film.

This stain does bleed into your fix.

[richard jepsen]

Clarification: If fixing in a acid fixer such as Kodak Rapid Fixer

it would be best to wash for 10 min. Film fixed in an alkaline fixer

can be washed for 5 min.