hypo
- noun
- /ˈhaɪpoʊ/
- Archaic
- In traditional photography, hypo is essential for making the images stable and light-resistant after development.
Examples
-
The photographer used a solution of sodium thiosulfate, commonly known as hypo, to fix the developed photos.
-
I'm a sales rep for a large specialty chemical company that for years has sold Cal Hypo in both solid pucks and granular form for pool sanitizing.
Blog text (29) -
The fixing may be done in AMFIX or in a fixer with crystal hypo and pot metabisulphite.
Academic text (1995) -
To ensure the photographic prints last longer, they were treated with hypo after being developed.
Synonyms
A chemical used to fix photos and in some lab tests
A white salt that dissolves in water and is used to fix photos and treat cyanide poisoning
Compounds
- Specialized
A type of steel with less than 0.9% carbon that has both softer and harder parts
Surface Forms
Etymology
Hypo for the photographic fixer comes from an old chemical name, shortened from hyposulphite, so early photographers simply called the fixing solution 'hypo' and the name stuck for the liquid that makes images permanent.