C-41 / ECN-2 bleach

Description

The bleach shared by C-41 and ECN-2: it converts developed metallic silver back to a halide so the fixer can wash it out and leave only the dyes.

What it does, and why it lasts

A bleach does not exhaust the way a developer does: it can be aerated — poured from a height or shaken with air — and it recovers much of its activity. One litre therefore goes a long way even with regular processing.

Shared between two processes

C-41 and ECN-2 differ in their developer and in the prebath; the bleach and fixer are the same. If you process both still and cine film, this is one solution for both.

Questions and answers

The negative looks odd after bleaching — is that normal?

Yes. It takes its final appearance after the fixer washes out the silver halide.