Metol Cold Tone Developer

[Adrian Twiss]

I am currently learning the art of bleach/redevelopment with the specific aim of producing neutral/cold tone images. The developer I am using following the bleaching is a metol only formula that I got of the web. The formula is

Water 52 deg C 750ml
Metol 10g
Sodium Sulphite 33g
Sodium Carbonate 33g
Water to 1 litre

This developer does produce cold tones following bleaching in Potassium Dichromate or Copper Sulphate bleach.

I was wondering if anyone has an idea about the shelf life for the developer working solution. I don't use old chemistry but neither am I profligate about my solutions especially since metol is now costing 60usd for 250 grammes in the UK.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Always good to give a citation for a formula. This formula appears credited to Peter Hogan in Black and White Magazine, March 2005, p 69. The author claims the bleach and developer will keep for up to a year.

Be careful with copper based bleaches as they can cause significant softening of the emulsion.

 

[Ian Grant]

A Potassium Dichromate bleach will give warmer tone results due to the Chromium staining.

Ian

 

[Adrian Twiss]

Firstly thank you for your replies.

Gerald - I noted this formula down a number of years ago and forgot to note its origin. That's why I did not cite the originator. Thanks for the tip about emulsion softening with copper sulphate. I did not know that.

Ian - I am looking at a couple of prints that I made for comparisons sake. The untreated print was developed in Defender 55D Portrait developer which, as you know doubt know is a warm tone developer. The treated print was bleached in potassium dichromate and developed in what transpires to be Peter Hogan's cold tone Metol developer. I can observe a definite move towards neutral. Mind you the Copper Sulphate bleached is cooler still. I have tried scanning these prints but due to my crappy scanner the colour shifts are not that obvious but viewed under good light the untreated print is a warm grey/brown and the Potassium dichromate print is a neutral grey. The paper was Fomatone MG Classic.

Adrian

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Gerald - I noted this formula down a number of years ago and forgot to note its origin. That's why I did not cite the originator. Thanks for the tip about emulsion softening with copper sulphate. I did not know that.

I have done the same thing myself and then wished I had noted the source when there was a question or I was looking for more information. I have been asked a few times on APUG where a particular piece of information came from and was unable to give the source. Jerry

 

[jochen]

Hello,
keep it in a completely filled brown glass bottle or fill up with lighter gas. These old formulas are not as bad concerning shelf life. It is interesting that the developer does not contain an antifog, especially no KBr. Therefore it will give a cold tone.

 

[Rudeofus]

It is interesting that the developer does not contain an antifog, especially no KBr. Therefore it will give a cold tone.

It contains no antifog because it is meant to be used after a rehal bleach, not for regular development.

 

[David Allen]

Adrian,

have you tried developing with Dokumol at 1 + 6?

This used to render even (the long gone) Polywarmtone neutral but with those lovely blacks and gives me neutral results with whichever paper I am using.

Is it just a neutral look that you are seeking or is there something else about the bleach / redevelop process?

Bests,

David
www.dsallen.de

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Adrian,

have you tried developing with Dokumol at 1 + 6?

This used to render even (the long gone) Polywarmtone neutral but with those lovely blacks and gives me neutral results with whichever paper I am using.

Is it just a neutral look that you are seeking or is there something else about the bleach / redevelop process?

Bests,

David
www.dsallen.de

David,

When I performed an extensive test of paper developers 5 years ago, D-72 and Harman Cooltone came out the coolest. Compared to Dokumol and Eukobrom.

Tom

 

[Adrian Twiss]

David

Whilst as a rule I tend to do things as simply as possible I also like to acquire as many different printing skills as I can. I use bleach/redevelop when I want a particularly cool rendering. I may only want to do this once in a while so there is little sense (in terms of economy and my limited storage space) to buying different types of developer or keeping a very wide variety of papers in stock that I will not use frequently. Besides, it's fun to play (even at 55).

 

[David Allen]

David

Whilst as a rule I tend to do things as simply as possible I also like to acquire as many different printing skills as I can. I use bleach/redevelop when I want a particularly cool rendering. I may only want to do this once in a while so there is little sense (in terms of economy and my limited storage space) to buying different types of developer or keeping a very wide variety of papers in stock that I will not use frequently. Besides, it's fun to play (even at 55).

Hi Adrian,

thanks for clarifying - it just struck me that bleach/redevelop was a lot of work if you wanted consistently neutral tones. But, if you only want this sometimes it all makes sense now!

As to playing being fun, well I personally like to tie things down to one combo that works for me, but if you like playing around that's great! After-all, if someone doesn't enjoy what they are doing - why do it?

All the best for your photography.

David
www.dsallen.de