water-bath

Definition: (1) Development process, in which exposed material is given a water-bath after the first development step. * During this immersion, developer in the less exposed areas, i.e. less dense, is less exhausted than in denser areas, so it continues to develop the image: this is said to improve shadow detail in negatives, to improve highlight detail in prints. (2) Quantity of water surrounding a container for developer, etc., which is used to maintain the temperature of the container.

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