LPD paper developer question?

[stradibarrius]

I am working trying to establish a basic print skill foundation. In my "mind's eye" many of the shots I take, I see the print have a silvery cool look opposed to a warmer gray look. I hope that description resonates with some of you...
I recently bought some LPD paper developer, thinking that being a liquid concentrate, it would be more economical??? But, on the back of the bottle among the descriptive terms used describing the dilutions was the terms "light silver" and neutral silver. When I read these descriptive terms I realized that cooler "silver" was what I was trying to achieve rather than a warmer "gray" series of tones.

Now to my question. If I have a properly exposed/developed negative and have been able to print with good range of tones will changing from Dektol to LPD make a difference in achieving a cooler look on Ilford MGIV RC paper?

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

No. (A generally true generalization.)

MGIV is moderately resistant to attempts to change print color.

Try one of the old-style papers - Foma, Efke, Slavich etc. - and one of the 'cold tone developers'.

Note that 'cold tone' means blue - not 'silver'.

For a silvery look you should use glossy surface fiber-base paper and subject matter that is, er, silvery. The silvery look has nothing to do with the color of the image - it can be had with warm or cold tone processes.

 

[ann]

we use LPD at school , altho, i get the powder version as it is much more cost effective .

you can change the ratio for a warmer, colder look.

 

[MVNelson]

the benefits of LPD is long storage and tray life, full tonal range and ability to have great warm tones on warm tone papers and cold tones on cold tone papers by adjusting the dilution of the concentrate. The print silvery-ness has to do subject silvery-ness , sharpness and contrast . The canned powder is much more economical and easier to store.

 

[Konical]

Good Afternoon,

I've used both Dektol and LPD with MGIV, ordinarily at the same 1:2 dilution. I can't see any difference in the prints.

Konical

 

[stradibarrius]

Miles, your photo, Oak & Hut has the look I am trying to achieve at this point. As I said I am trying to establish my base printing skilss and get those cooler tones. Should I be able to achieve those cooler tones with the Ilford MGIV RC paper? If I can stay with RC paper at this point it is a less expensive way to make mistakes and establish a skill base. If I am trying to achieve something with RC paper that is easier with FB paper???? If that is the case then I will certainly go that way.
Another APUG member pointed out that AA most always had these cool/cold tones to his images.

 

[Anon Ymous]

Barry, paper and developer choice can influence print tone, but so does toning. I've developer Ilford MG IV RC in Neutol WA, a warmtone developer. The result was slightly greenish. After 4' in selenium toner (KRST 1+24) it was neutral to cold. The prints you see on-line aren't necessarily "straight" prints.

 

[Richard Jepsen]

I agree Ilford MG IV does not lend itself to bending the print color from what's locked in the emulsion. Galerie and EMAKS fixed grades do shift when toned in KSRT from slightly warm to neutral/slight cool. Also, there is a difference using Ilford's PQ and something like Arista Premium, a slight cooler developer with crisp whites, somewhat like Dektol. At the end of the day select the paper which has the locked-in base print color.