Longer Shelf-Life Print Developer?

canvassy · Aug 19, 2016

I'm currently using Ilford MG print developer, and I haven't been able to get through a whole bottle yet without it going bad on me.

I don't print very frequently, which is the problem. The dev turns yellow, and then after that it ends up looking like tea. It's still usable at that point but goes bad quickly after. I seem to make it 2/3rds of the way through a bottle and then have to pick up another. I'm planning on printing more frequently during the winter, but I would love to find a dev that has a longer shelf life.

I've heard great things about Liquidol, but can anyone tell me how long the shelf life is? And how does it compare to what I'm currently using?

Any other suggestions for a longer lasting print developer?

Thanks!!

pentaxuser · Aug 19, 2016

Don't you have at least two of the longest lasting developers on your doorstep in the U.S. in the form of Dektol and Ethol LPD. I am sure I have read of another, again U.S. based but the name escapes me but won't escape others

On the other hand if you decant the Ilford MG into winebags then its life based on my experience is very long also

pentaxuser

Dali · Aug 19, 2016

I use Ethol LPD and it lasts forever. It tuns yellow quickly but with replenishment each time you use, it can last much more than a year. Like you I print in an irregular basis and the last batch I use was exhausted after 2 and a half year. My current batch is more than 6 months old and is going fine.

mike c · Aug 19, 2016

The Photographers Formulator's 130 paper developer has a long try life, Ive used it for film too, its a fine developer.

canvassy · Aug 20, 2016

pentaxuser said:
Don't you have at least two of the longest lasting developers on your doorstep in the U.S. in the form of Dektol and Ethol LPD. I am sure I have read of another, again U.S. based but the name escapes me but won't escape others

On the other hand if you decant the Ilford MG into winebags then its life based on my experience is very long also

pentaxuser

I've only ever used the Ilford paper developer, I've never tried anything else yet. Thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate it.

canvassy · Aug 20, 2016

Dali said:
I use Ethol LPD and it lasts forever. It tuns yellow quickly but with replenishment each time you use, it can last much more than a year. Like you I print in an irregular basis and the last batch I use was exhausted after 2 and a half year. My current batch is more than 6 months old and is going fine.

mike c said:
The Photographers Formulator's 130 paper developer has a long try life, Ive used it for film too, its a fine developer.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll see if I can research those on APUG here.

miha · Aug 20, 2016

This: http://www.moersch-photochemie.de/content/shop/positiv/110/lang:en at: http://www.freestylephoto.biz/34465-Moersch-ECO-4812-Paper-Developer-1-Liter

I find it practically indestructible.

Slixtiesix · Aug 20, 2016

Calbe N113 or Adox Adotol Konstant. This is the same formula, just different brands.

David Lingham · Aug 20, 2016

With a 1 litre of Ilford PQ I pour it into four 250ml plastic bottles. Then with each bottle I put a square of cling film over the opening and screw the top on tight. It usually lasts at least a year.

hacked - sepiareverb · Aug 20, 2016

miha said:
This: http://www.moersch-photochemie.de/content/shop/positiv/110/lang:en at: http://www.freestylephoto.biz/34465-Moersch-ECO-4812-Paper-Developer-1-Liter

I find it practically indestructible.

Absolutely. I tested a gallon of used working solution, poured it into a 1 gallon plastic water jug, stored it for several months at room temperature and it still worked. Remarkable stuff. And besides the long life it produces lovely tonality on many papers. I am a big fan of Wolfgang Moersch, this was my introduction to his magnificent line of chemistry.

I too go through periods of not having time for the darkroom, and can't begin to count the number of bottles of DD-X or other mixed from powder developers I tossed. Now I use Bloxygen in all my developer bottles once opened, or as soon as they are bottled after mixing and I can't understand why this isn't common practice. I can leave a partial bottle of DD-X or a half full bottle of Perceptol on the shelf for months and months without any ill effects. I bought a large quantity of Neutol a few years ago, in a 5L jug when I got a deal, decanted it into one shot size glass bottles, topped off with bloxygen, and worked through it over the next two and a half years. That first bottle of bloxygen saved me at least $200 in developer. No darkroom should be without it.

Note, my ECO-4812 test above was without Bloxygen.

MartinP · Aug 20, 2016

As already mentioned, try splitting the concentrate down in to several smaller bottles which are brim full. Use the last, partially-filled, bottle first obviously.

If changing developer completely then I also support the Moersch. It is very surprisingly good stuff, though might be harder to find in North America than in Europe?

Photo Engineer · Aug 20, 2016

Try Liquidol from the Formulary. It has excellent shelf and tray life.

PE

removed account4 · Aug 20, 2016

mike c said:
The Photographers Formulator's 130 paper developer has a long try life, Ive used it for film too, its a fine developer.

formulary 130 ( pf130, ansco130 .. they are all the same thing ) is a print developer that has a monster shelf life ( a year+ as stock solution in a bottle )
and in a tray people have suggested it can last 30 days and still be active. i used it continuously for about 15 years for both film and prints, and used its cousin
"GAF Universal Developer" before that when i discovered a giant can holding up a window where i used to live.
BELIEVE the hype about this developer -->> huge shelf life, great prints, great films ....

i use dektol and d72 now, i had some lying around and i was thinking i was saving money but ( dektol/d72 )
goes bad really fast by comparison to ansco130,
and it doesn't cost much less, so i don't really think i saved much $$.

good luck !
john

mehguy · Aug 20, 2016

Kodak Polymax T has a long shelf life and is a great developer.

StephenT · Aug 20, 2016

Ethol LPD (lasting paper developer)

BMbikerider · Aug 20, 2016

Don't change your developer. It is a superb quality product. When I open a new 1 ltr bottle I decant 500cc into a brown glass bottle and screw on the top. The other half I decant into 100cc brown glass screw top bottles and use them as and when I need to. 100cc + water will give 1 to 1.4 litres of working solution more than sufficient for an evenings work by which time if you are doing a lot of prints it will be exhausted. Non will be wasted.

Likewise, when I did a lot of B&W work I used to buy a 5 litre bulk container of the same developer then, split it down into 9 x 500cc screw top bottles and 5 x 100cc bottles.

Using this method I have actually preserved concentrated Multigrade in 100cc for 12 months and more in glass bottles. If you cannot buy them local to where you live there are lots of outlets on the web.

Peter Schrager · Aug 20, 2016

Agfa neutol WA...lasts pretty well for a liquid developer ...I mix my own Amidol and it lasts all day or as long as there is liquid
Best peter

tedr1 · Aug 20, 2016

Photo Engineer said:
Try Liquidol from the Formulary. It has excellent shelf and tray life.

PE

If I may ask a question. Is Liquidol suitable for use with Ilford Multigrade Fiberbase Warmtone papers? In particular would the warm tone be preserved? Would you expect that Liquidol working strength developer left in a tray overnight would give the same performance the next day?

Photo Engineer · Aug 20, 2016

I am not sure about the warm tone. You may have to try it. However, if a paper is "warmtone" it is generally built into the emulsion and the developer is a minor factor.

Liquidol has long shelf life in opened containers and as dilute working strength. There is a long discussion about it here.

PE

mnemosyne · Aug 21, 2016

I think the material of the original Ilford bottle is not optimal for longer keeping, so BMbikerider suggestion to transfer the stock solution into tightly filled (and tighly closed) glass bottles makes sense. I am quite sure it will make a difference.

My standard paper developer is "Rollei Vintage" (a HQ-free "environmentally friendly" developer). It has very good developing properties and excellent shelf life after breaking the seal (I would say at least up to a year) when kept in the original PET bottle with some protective gas added. I have even kept a partially used working dilution in the 1+4 dilution for several months in a glass bottle with protective gas without any problems. In the 1+9 dilution it is better used at once.
This developer produces a neutral black tone with neutral papers. The only warmtone paper I have tried it with is Fomatone, where it produces a distinct green-to-olive kind of tone. I have not used it with Ilford warmtone papers.

tedr1 · Aug 21, 2016

Photo Engineer said:
I am not sure about the warm tone. You may have to try it. However, if a paper is "warmtone" it is generally built into the emulsion and the developer is a minor factor.

Liquidol has long shelf life in opened containers and as dilute working strength. There is a long discussion about it here.

PE

Thank you PE. I would like to follow your link to other discussions however the link seems incomplete (?) can you please post the link once more?

Photo Engineer · Aug 21, 2016

I leave the link to you to search. I am not doing your work for you. Sorry.

PE

cliveh · Aug 21, 2016

Ilford MG print developer is fine, just decant the concentrate into clean soft plastic drink bottle/s and squeeze to allow no air space before sealing with screw top. In this way it will last you a long time.

canvassy · Aug 21, 2016

BMbikerider said:
Don't change your developer. It is a superb quality product. When I open a new 1 ltr bottle I decant 500cc into a brown glass bottle and screw on the top. The other half I decant into 100cc brown glass screw top bottles and use them as and when I need to. 100cc + water will give 1 to 1.4 litres of working solution more than sufficient for an evenings work by which time if you are doing a lot of prints it will be exhausted. Non will be wasted.

Thank you for this. I can actually get Ilford Multigrade developer locally in 500ml bottles at a good price, so it's quite convenient and I actually quite like the developer. I just didn't like that I can only get through 2/3rds of it before it's bad.

Thank you BMbikerider and everyone that suggested decanting, I will look into getting some bottles for that.

Thank you everyone for the developer suggestions. I've looked into the LPD developer, and it is very intriguing especially the different tones with different dilutions. I am also wanting to try Liquidol. I just received an order of supplies last week, but I will put these 2 on my wish list and order them the next time I make an order.

Thanks everyone!

Photo Engineer · Aug 21, 2016

When I designed Liquidol for the Formulary, I used the latest Kodak technology to get long life. I have used bottles that are over 5 years old, and the same is true for F5. Nothing fancy is needed for keeping the concentrates.

PE

Longer Shelf-Life Print Developer?

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