Wetting agent for prints?

[semrich]

I've been using LFN Wetting Agent for several years now as a final rinse for my B&W negatives with excellent results. Just 2 drops per 500 ML and no water marks.

I'm into wet printing now and notice that when left hanging to dry I get "bumps" in the print where a droplet of water didn't run off and dried as a droplet. Could anyone using LFN in printing tell me if it would have any adverse effects, and would it help with the "bumps"?

 

[Steinberg2010]

Some people squeegee their prints - never heard anyone mention using wetting agent on them. Have you tried doing a final wash in distilled/filtered water?

Are you sure the bumps aren't the emulsion lifting off the substrate – maybe you're washing your prints for too long. Just a thought...

~S

 

[sevo]

A wetting agent is commonly recommended for RC paper (and is listed as a requirement for many machine dryers). It is pointless on air dried fibre based paper, but on the other hand, much higher soap concentrations are used in high gloss press drying, and Sistan contains a wetting agent component and is widely used for archival FB processing, too. Which rather looks as if (low concentration) detergents don't do any damage even in the long run.

As to the bumps, it probably will not help - edge separation of RC paper might even grow worse.

 

[semrich]

Thanks guys, I did forget to mention I'm only printing on FB paper. I did try a squeegee once but was worried about damaging the emulsion. I'm going to look into a roller used for that purpose.

I will use the wetting agent in bottled water as a final rinse and see what happens.

 

[Highway 61]

FB paper can remain in still water for about 12 hours without getting bumps (due to the emulsion separating from the paper, true). When fully rinsed I either squeegee my FB prints or just hang them vertically with a clip when I am getting lazy and I never get bumps or problems, sort of...

FB paper prints must be rinsed for at least one hour under 20° tap water before you get them off the rinsing and let them dry (squeegee or not squeegee). This is a simple process.

Bumps can come from either too hot a rinsing water, or defective paper (brand ?).

 

[semrich]

I use Ilford MG IV Brilliant and rinse them for an hour in a print washer, I hang them to dry with 2 clothes pins on a wire. The bumps do not seem to be separation, only a high spot where there was a water droplet during drying.

 

[nikon_sam]

I use a Paterson squeegee on both sides of RC and FB papers without any problems...
I'll then let the RC prints continue to air dry on their own but use a table top print dryer for the FB paper...never liked the results of hanging FB paper or just leaving it on a flat surface...for me it's a dryer with the image facing the matte cloth...
Never used anything else after washing in water either...but that's just me...

 

[semrich]

I want to thank all who replied to this thread, and as follow up, I saw on the Edwal web site for their LFN product that it is used with RC paper. So I went ahead and used it on a FB print at 2 drops per 500ml and the water just sheeted off the print while hanging and "low and behold" no water drops that when dried causing "bumps". I will continue using LFN.

 

[mwoenv]

I use only RC paper and just squeegee both sides and hang to dry. I've never had water spots or damage to the emulsion.