Ilford PQ universal vz Ilford multigrade paper developer

[Juraj Kovacik]

Salesman adviced me strongly use for Ilford MG FIBER paper only PQ universal developer, not Ilford multigrade developer. Is there any point or was it only bunkum of merchat who is overstocked with PQ developer and is trying to sold it? Thanks JK

 

[david b]

Gosh, I better stop using selectol soft and dektol.

 

[mark]

SOunds like a load of crap to me.

 

[jovo]

"was it only bunkum of merchat who is overstocked with PQ developer and is trying to sold it? "

YUP!

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Jurajk, the store probably has a large inventory of PQ Universal. The main difference in the two developers is image tone.

Download the .pdf files on B&W Paper Developers from Ilford: http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/pdf/paperdeveloper.pdf

Ilford sells three concentrated liquid paper developers:
1. Ilford Multigrade Developer, a "Slightly Neutral Tone of Image" Dimezone-S/Hydroquinone developer.
2. Ilford PQ Universal Developer, a "Slightly Warm of Neutral Tone of Image" Dimezone-S/Hydroquinone developer.
3. Ilford Bromphen Developer, less concentrated than the previous two, a "Slightly Warm of Neutral Tone of Image" Phenidone/Hydroquinone developer.

Since Dimezone-S is one of the Phenidone developing agents, all three of these developers are PQ developers.

I have been mixing PQ Universal "from scratch" (I use Phenidone - not Dimezone-S) for many years. It is easy to turn it into a neutral-cold image tone developer by adding benzotriazole (start by adding 1 gram per liter of the working solution). The resulting developer gives results very similar to Dektol's, but the image "comes up" a little faster.

 

[Juraj Kovacik]

Thanks Tom for detailed explanation. JK