A loooong lasting paper developer.

[waynecrider]

I need something that will last in the cupboard for quite awhile, say 2 years since I develop infrequently. I'd prefer not to mix anything as the scale is shot and that's that and I'd prefer a bottle of liquid developer. Thanks.

 

[brucemuir]

Ansco 130 kit from PhotoFormulary
or
LPD which I haven't used but there are threads here extolling it's keeping qualities

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

Lpd rocks, but I think it does react to air so you need it in a filled up bottle, half filled bottles kinda get crushed in. But it lasts and last, you dilute to whatever blacks you want. Great stuff in a can.

 

[henry finley]

I've always had Dektol last very well.

 

[Kobin]

PF 130 from the Formulary is Ansco 130. No need to weigh anything; it all comes pre-weighed in individual packages. I mixed up my last stock in the spring of 2010; I still have two liters left and it works just fine. I use it because my print sessions are few and far between.

K

 

[Vaughn]

What ever liquid developer you get, store it in full air-tight bottles. Many ways to do this -- transfer into smaller bottles (I do this with 5liter bottles of Ilford Universal PQ developer), add marbles to take up the air space, fill with an inert gas (from wine shops), etc.

 

[Darkroom317]

I use BW-65 from Photographers Formulary. The two solutions keep fairly long unmixed.

 

[zsas]

Liquidol! Think it ships for free* from Amazon to boot! Plus it was co-created by Apug'r Photo Engineer - Ron Mowrey!

*So long as your order is $25+ or you are an Amazon Prime member.

 

[BMbikerider]

If you decant any liquid paper developer out of say a 1 litre plastic bottle into individual dark brown or green GLASS bottles of 100cc then you will get your chemicals to last almost indefinitely, so long as they don't get too cold or the will precipitate out (Colour especially).

 

[peeniwali]

I have been using the same mix of Ansco 130 for more than one year. 18 months now that i think about it. Not only does it give me stellar prints that really pop but it just keeps on lasting and lasting. I honestly wonder when it is going to die but so far I run a print batch, put it away and reuse next time I am in the mood. I strongly suggest getting the chemicals thru photo formulary either as raw chemicals and mixing it up as required or buying their kit.

 

[removed account4]

ansco 130!
AND it gets better as it ages
AND you can process film in it !
AND you can process paper negatives in it
( even when it is black as cocacola ! )

happy new year wayne !
john

 

[NedL]

Time to go read the 130+ comments in the ansco 130 sticky at the top of this forum!

 

[waynecrider]

Thanks everyone. I flood my bottles with nitrogen so I'm sure I can get your recommendations to last.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I've always had Dektol last very well.

+1

Jeff

 

[brianmquinn]

Thanks everyone. I flood my bottles with nitrogen so I'm sure I can get your recommendations to last.

If you use plastic bottles the oxygen from the air can diffuse slowly THROUGH the walls and caps of a plastic bottle. So flooding with nitrogen helps but you really need to use glass bottles if you want really long life. I have stored both Xtol and D72 and D76 in small glass bottles (330ml) for an age test and even 4 years later they are colorless and work as good as new.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Liquidol was designed to have long shelf life as a concentrate, and long shelf life and capacity in the tray. In my tests (posted here on APUG), it outlasted Dektol by over 2X.

John, if Ansco 130 gets better with age, it is nice to hear but that means that it is changing!

PE

 

[juan]

Rodinal one shot.
juan

 

[Rick A]

I've had great success with Ethol LPD, my last batch lasted well over two years. The trick is to keep the botles filled to the brim and cap tightly.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Rodinal for prints?

PE

 

[juan]

Yes, IIRC about 1:20 dilution of Rodinal - but it's been years since I've done it. I think there's a thread on APUG about it. I don't remember what papers I used to try it. Probably Canadian Azo and Kentmere Bromide. The result was a somewhat cold toned print. I didn't continue because it was not very economical. I think there's also a thread about using Gainer's PC-TEA as a paper developer.
juan

 

[waynecrider]

Liquidol was designed to have long shelf life as a concentrate, and long shelf life and capacity in the tray. In my tests (posted here on APUG), it outlasted Dektol by over 2X.

John, if Ansco 130 gets better with age, it is nice to hear but that means that it is changing!

PE

Is this a neutral tone developer? Contrast?

 

[David Allen]

My recommendation is Tetenal Dokumol decanted into smaller glass bottles (as others have recommended). It is a very long lasting developer and also a very hard working developer. Try it at 1 + 6 for 3 minutes and you will be amazed.

Best,

David
www.dsallen.de

 

[sepiareverb]

Moersch ECO 4812 is my choice. Lasts a startlingly long time as a working solution in a bottle. I bottled up my first batch in a 1 gallon plastic water jug at the end of my printing session and 3 months later it was fine. I regularly use it several days before discarding. The concentrate lasts ages, with a little Bloxygen in the bottle I'd guess five years.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Is this a neutral tone developer? Contrast?

It is almost identical to Dektol in all regards.

PE

 

[Ian Grant]

Yes, IIRC about 1:20 dilution of Rodinal - but it's been years since I've done it. I think there's a thread on APUG about it. I don't remember what papers I used to try it. Probably Canadian Azo and Kentmere Bromide. The result was a somewhat cold toned print. I didn't continue because it was not very economical. I think there's also a thread about using Gainer's PC-TEA as a paper developer.
juan

Rodinal was once very commonly used as a print developer as well as for films, as was Kodak's equivalent Kodinol (not made or sold in the US). However I think 2:25 (1:12.5) is more like what's needed with modern Rodinal to get the contrast and a good Dmax.

Mees worked on p-Aminophenol developers himself at Wratten & Wainwright before joining Kodak, that work continued at Kodak Ltd's Harrow Research facility (which was effcetively the same Wratten team minus those who founded the Rochester facility) resulting in Kodelon, Ilford's version Certinal was released around 1908.

Ian