Has anyone experienced a problem with PMK negatives losing stain well after development? I was doing some organizing and a negative I have succesfully printed in the past has an area about the size of a half dollar where the stain has noticeably lightened. I keep negatives in archival sleeves (print-file negative sleeves) and are stored out of the light. I haven't tried to reprint it yet but, are there any ways to recover the stain?

Thanks

Kevin

-- kevin kemner (kkemner@tateandsnyder.com), January 14, 2000

Answers

I've been using PMK for 5 years now and have never had this problem. I doubt that you could recover the stain, once it is gone. It sounds as though something came in contact with the negative.

There is a fascinating article by Sandy King in the latest issue of Post-Factory Photography: he has created a new developer that he calls Pyrocat-HD, which utilizes pyrocatechin and phenidone in sodium carbonate. He claims it has all the positive attributes of PMK and none of the negative--i.e., it gives greater film speed, lower processing times, more consistent staining action, and is less toxic. I can't wait to try it!

-- (edbuffaloe@unblinkingeye.com), January 14, 2000.

All you should have to do is resoak the film in some rapid fix to remove the rest of the stain and then redevelope in used PMK like usual, you might have to let it set a little longer. Pat

-- pat j. krentz (krentz@cci-29palms.com), January 14, 2000.

Thank you for the advice. Is this something you have tried before? Before I give this a shot is this going to result in a general stain or an image specific stain? I reread Hutchings book but didn't really find any indication. Wouldn't it also be possible to rewash the negative and put it directly into a staining bath? The rest of the image would already be at stain max so the lighter spot should be the only area to toake the stain. Since this is the only negative to have had this happen, I agree that it somehow came into contact with something. My guess would be some rapid fix while printing in the darkroom.

-- kevin kemner (kkemner@tateandsnyder.com), January 17, 2000.

Kevin, in a different secion G.H. tells how to remove the image stain (but for a too-dense neg, which I think is irrelavent in your case...):

"It is possible to remove stain...In most films the stain contributes approximately 40% of the total negative density, so it's removal reduced density significantly. Immerse the fixed, wet negative into a solution of acetic acid and sodium sulfite (1/2 oz. of 28% acetic acid and one teaspoon sodium sulfite per quart). Leave the negative in the solution for three minutes and then wash it." Gordon Hutchings

...Don't know if this is helpful to you or not, since he doesn't say how to bring the stain back, for which you'll need other posters...shawn

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), January 18, 2000.