What would happen to a film placed in the fixer prior to development?

When a film is placed in the fixer before it has undergone development, the result is that the film would turn blank or clear. This occurs because the fixer is designed to remove unexposed silver halide crystals from the film emulsion. These crystals are responsible for capturing the image during exposure.

During the development process, exposed crystals are reduced to black metallic silver, forming the visible image. However, if the film is immersed in the fixer before development, it eliminates any unexposed crystals without allowing enough time for the development process to convert the exposed crystals into permanent silver. Consequently, the entire film appears clear or blank, as there are no retained crystals that could create contrast or an image on the film. This process emphasizes the sequential nature of film development, where proper timing and order are critical for producing a visible image.