Kentona three tray development + selenium 1+40 4min
To prevent dichroic fog with polychrome prints:
When using two bath developement with Lith and Siena you get more intensive colours than with lith alone. The silver density of the highlights increases, which results in a higher ability of those areas to react to toning.
The intensity of the colour depends on the quantity of additives ammonium chloride and carbonate. Too much of these additives will result in purple hues and dichroic fog. If that happens you can reduce (or eliminate) this fog by adding Lith D (5-10ml per litre) to the second developer. If you use Fomatone or Forte Polywarmtone, this will be sufficient. Kentmere Kentona is more prone to fogging. When using this paper, it is better to separate carbonate and Siena developer by using carbonate in a separate third dish (dilution 1+5 to 1+10). See below or go to
http://www.moersch-photochemie.de/daten/lith-zweibad-eng/lith-zweibad-2.htm
Fomatone and Forte
Three instead of two trays. Siena without chloride and carbonate.
Third tray chloride and carbonate (optional + D).
With this variation the alkalinity of the paper has to be neutralised = acid stop bath after Lith. Afterwards short rinse in water. This is necessary, because otherwise the pH value of the Siena will increase with every print.
Times:
Lith 2-5 min, Stop 10-20 sec, Water (tray) 10-20 sec. Siena (1+5) 1 min. Activator (carbonate + chloride) 1-2 min.
For Kentona as above, but chloride in the Siena, not in the activator.
Three trays - Lith, Siena, Activator - the basics:
An alternative in order to preserve the expensive second developer or to prevent fog: if you use Glycine Developer without alkali, you can use it for many months. In order to prevent contamination with alkali coming from the lith developer, use a stop bath to neutralize and rinse in running water before taking the print to the second developer. Small amounts of acid are no harm to the second developer, because the pH value of the working solution (diluted with water) is between 7.8 and 8.0. A further decline is uncritical.
The concentrate is diluted between 1+4 and 1+8 with water. The emulsion only absorbs the developing substance. No significant development reaction should be observable.
Development only takes place in the following activator bath. When developing in separate baths, the activator can only work as long as developer substance is present. Using the suggested dilutions, this process is completed after about 1½ to 3 minutes.
The amount of developer substance absorbed cannot be increased arbitrarily by extending the duration of dwell. Once the water (from rinsing) is washed out of the emulsion, meaning no remaining incline in saturation, maximum absorption is reached. If you want the paper to absorb more developing substance, the concentrate is to be used less diluted.
The less developer solution you carry into the activator bath, the longer will the activator bath be useable. If you allow every print to drain thoroughly (around 20 seconds for a 8x10 sheet of paper) you can use it for an entire session.
