E-6 bleach

Description

The E-6 bleach: it converts all the silver — the negative image from the first developer and the positive from the colour one — back to halide, so the fixer leaves only dyes behind.

Why it lasts

As in C-41 it can be aerated: poured from a height or shaken with air, and much of its activity returns. Of all the E-6 baths it usually outlives several sets of developer.

The sign of trouble

A greyish veil in the shadows of a finished slide usually means an exhausted bleach: some of the silver never converted and stayed in the emulsion.

Questions and answers

Can I use the C-41 bleach?

They are different solutions for different processes. The E-6 bleach is formulated for silver after two developments.