A serious loss of water in a wet developer mix can lead to what issue?

A serious loss of water in a wet developer mix can lead to the cracking of the developer coating. When water is lost, the mixture becomes more concentrated, which can increase the viscosity and reduce the fluidity of the developer. As the developer dries, the lack of sufficient moisture can cause it to shrink unevenly, leading to cracks and a poor application overall.

In processes where developers are used, especially in non-destructive testing or similar applications, maintaining the right balance of water is crucial. If the coating is not uniform or develops cracks, it can compromise the effectiveness of the developer, leading to incomplete or inaccurate results when assessing materials.

Other factors, like color change or increased drying time, while they may occur due to changes in the mixture, are not as directly related to the mechanical integrity of the developer coating itself. Improved visibility of indications would be counterproductive in the context of a compromised developer mix, as the primary concern typically becomes achieving and maintaining the quality of the developer application.