Archival Techniques
Archival processing involves a sequence of fixing and washing steps to insure the permanence of the image on the fiber paper stock.
After developement, two-bath fixing removes all the undeveloped (excess) silver from the paper. These fixing salts can cause discoloration of the paper base and fading of the silver particles if not fully washed away.
Following the fixer, the prints are rinsed in plain water, then treated with a hypo-clear solution, which helps chemically nuetralize the fixing salts and makes them easier to wash away.
Selenium toning provides additional archival protection by forming silver-selenium compounds that have better stability and longevity than silver alone.
Sepia toning is also an archival process, converting the normally cool paper color to the rich warm browns of photos from yesteryear. It is a very appealing look on many of the angel images presented here.
The final step is a plain water wash in an archival washer to remove the traces of processing chemicals which can have a detrimental effect on print longevity.
All prints are fixed twice, selenium or sepia toned (your choice), and archivally washed. Handtinted prints are sepia-toned before the oil-based color is applied.
Prints are mounted and matted using archival materials onto museum quality archival mount board.
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