Does anyone have any recomendations on which archival print washers you feel are bset and why? I will have the need to wash fiber base prints up to 16x20 in size.

Thanks,

Jim

-- Jim Billups (jimblps@earthlink.net), February 20, 2000

Answers

Personally, I am very fond of my Nova Rapid Washer. It is actually a washer designed for the RA-4 color process, hence for RC paper. Yet, as Nova states in their instruction manual, it works fine with FB prints. Its capacity may be limited (two slots), but that's one of the good points for me: It takes only little space, and it was quite affordable (about 130 USD for the 12x16-inch version). When you use a hypo eliminator, it is not necessary to wash your prints for too long a time, but if you are afraid that you will need to wash the next prints before the previous batch (two 12x16 prints or, e.g. four 8x10 prints) has completed its washing cycle, you should consider a model with more slots. Even then it might be a good choice to use two of the Nova washers as they do not cost more than one of the expensive archival washers, and two independent washers (possibly even in different sizes, or one for washing before the hypo eliminator bath and one for final washing) are more flexible.

-- Thomas Wollstein (thomas_wollstein@web.de), February 21, 2000.

Another vote for the NOva rapid washer. Yes, its only got two slots but that works as an advantage for me since 1/ it occupies very little space and 2/ it takes me about 10 - 15 minutes to expose and process each print. DJ

-- N Dhananjay (ndhanu@umich.edu), February 21, 2000.

a lot of people on here like the versalab washer. it holds plenty of stuff, and is vastly cheaper than most others.

www.versalab.com

-- brad daly (bwdaly@hiwaay.net), February 22, 2000.

Jim, I asked the same question on this BB about a year ago. Then nobody volunteered any info on the Nova washer so I don't know anything about it. I decided against the Versa-Lab washer beacuse of cross contamination when new prints are added to the wash. I just bought and Eco-Wash about three months ago and I am extremely happy with it. Before I was using a Koday tray siphon. To wash a fiber print would take about 45-60 minutes running about a gallon a minute through the siphon. Now I get thoroughly washed prints in 40 minutes with a flow rate of just slightly more than a quart of water a minute! My washing times are based on tests using the residual hypo test available from Photographer's Formulary. What ever you ultimately decide to buy, make sure you also get the residual hypo test kit so you can be sure of your washing times.

-- John Rountree (j.rountree@usa.net), March 27, 2000.