Santanu Chakraborty , Mar 10, 2009; 01:40 p.m.
Hi,
I am trying to relocate my Darkroom from New York city to Calcutta in India. In NYC I've been using tap water straight with a particulate matter filter for all my printing needs and have never seen a problem. I use Dektol and LPD for developing, Kodafix and Formulary TF-4 for fixing for which the tap water in NYC continues to work well.
The water in the new location is VERY high in iron and stains stuff red and can clearly be tasted while drinking. I can use distilled water to mix developers and fixer as I imagine high iron could be a problem, but just can't afford a 30 minute wash for each fiber paper in distilled water every time I print.
Is it archival to wash in hard water (high in iron) ? If not what are the acceptable concentrations of different minerals for washing paper? Is there any technical literature or published guideline for "wash water" quality?
Thank You,
Santanu Chakraborty
Adriano Carbone , Mar 10, 2009; 03:56 p.m.
I've similar problem to wash film and paper and for several years I used this method:
1) first washing with depurated water to lower film/paper temperature from 20/24 °C to water temperature (about 13-15 °C). Gelatine is harder at this temperature and particles not attach and penetrate it.
2) washing with normal water without using high pressure direct on surface
3) Final washing using depurated/distilled water and wetting agent.
Now after several years I use a simple and small filter (about 35euros) and results are better.
Bye
Santanu Chakraborty , Mar 10, 2009; 06:06 p.m.
Hi Adriano,
Thanks a lot for your answer.
I have a couple of questions. You said that you get better results with the filter. Could you elaborate a bit. Did you get staining or deterioration over time using the tap water ? Or was it something like difficulty in toning due to the residual iron etc in the print.
Also, it would be great if you could point me to a link of the kind of filter you use. I'll try to get something similar.
Thanks,
Adriano Carbone , Mar 10, 2009; 07:07 p.m.
Now I use this filter (attached photo and link): http://www.fotomatica.it/contents/it/d149.html
In this kind of simple filter you can insert different type of cartdrige to obtain different effect on filtered water. I use a cord filter to eliminate small particles on water but bigger than 5micron (sand, microsand, iron, ecc) but my water not is red colored eheheh.
The effect of my water on film was a lot of white dot on final print and other effect that occours rarely 2-10 days after printing are small rust colored dots attached on paper.
Never "my" dirty water interact with chemicals present in the foto because during washing (and after a pre-wash with distilled water to remove bigger part of fixing bath which can interact with rust!) silver is in metallic state protected by a thin layer of silver oxide that not react with other oxide as rust.
Other question is using not-clear water to prepare developing and fixing bath when metals, oxid and other particles are big problem.
I tried an experiment to colorize a photographic FB paper with Ecoline pigment (very very small molecule, I think smallest of rust on Calcutta red water) and using a solution colored like a UE flag I obtain a good tint after 1 hour of immersion. Same experiment failed using tempera and acrilic color ("big" molecula not penetrate on paper!).
This is my home-made experience and therefore I don't know any possible chemical interaction from Photo and Calcutta-red-water.
Bye
PS: I forgot to tell you that there are different cartridges for the filter that I use: activated carbon, ceramic and other to obtain different effects from eliminate big particles to eliminate gas and smalles particles. If you want you can mount a cord filter (low cost) before a ceramic filter (expensive) to block biggest particles out of ceramic filter.
Filter 5 micron particles
