Hard contrast developers

[Gary Holliday]

I'm looking for some recipes for hard contrast print developers. Something stronger than Dokumol.

Cheers

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Do you have any references?

I'm looking for some recipes for hard contrast print developers. Something stronger than Dokumol.

Cheers

things like the Photo-Index, Darkroom Cookbook, Haist, or Mason? You can find what you want there. If you don't, I can find some for you, but I don't want to waste my time.

Generally, you will want a developer that uses only hydroquinone, a healthy dose of iodide or benzatriazole, and high pH, even sodium hydroxide.

What about a lith developer?

And what's Dokumol?

 

[Photo Engineer]

D8 or D11, both for film and both pubished by Kodak.

PE

 

[Mike Wilde]

hard contrast

If you want it for paper there are limits. If I had the intent of hard contrast but continuous tone, I would start by shooting the film and then developing it to a higher than normal contrast - say D19. Then the option of exposing on a hard contrast paper in a conventional print developer.

A harder contrast route, but with more steps to adjust the process, is to take a normal processed continuous toned neg, and expose (enlarged or contact printed onto lith film. Develop the lith positive to the CI you want, (D85 for full lith all black and white, no greys and then contact to lith again, or continous tone again, as the mood suits you.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Well, actually, after thinking about this, any developer will give a reasonably hefty contrast increase if you increase the pH of the developer. So, a pH 10 developer adjusted to pH 11 or 12 will give a considerably higher contrast to either film or paper. Use dilute sodium hydroxide or dilute trisodium phosphate solution to increase the pH value. Use a pH meter or pH paper to check it.

PE

 

[Gary Holliday]

Interesting PE. What dilution of sodium hydroxide and amount per 1000ml?

 

[Photo Engineer]

Thats hard to say Gary, as it depends on the buffer capacity of the existing developer. For example, a developer with 50 g/l of Sodium Carbonate would react differently than one with 5 g/l even though they might be at the same pH value of about 10.0.

You might try 40 g/l of Sodium Hydroxide. Thats a 4% solution and is also 1 Molar. It should work well, but be very careful as this is very corrosive. Add it dropwise with stirring and wear rubber gloves and safety glasses. I do.

PE

 

[bvikesa]

Speaking of D11- any of you know where I can get development times for film?