Paper Developer Alternative to ILFORD Multigrade

[Keith Tapscott.]

There's nothing wrong with Multigrade developer. Just decant it into several smaller bottles preferably glass with an airtight lid.

 

[pentaxuser]

Liquidol was co-designed by Ron Mowrey and Bill Troop and at least marketed through Photographer's Formulary. The instructions lead me to the conclusion that it is manufactured by or for Photographer's Formulary as well.

Thanks Matt. Given its longevity improvement over Ilford MG developer with no seeming counter-balancing "faults," I am surprised that no-one has thought of its export potential or why in its home market it doesn't get more of a mention

Maybe the difference in longevity vis a vis its price difference compared to Ilford MG dev isn't enough to make a difference?

pentaxuser

 

[GregY]

Thanks Matt. Given its longevity improvement over Ilford MG developer with no seeming counter-balancing "faults," I am surprised that no-one has thought of its export potential or why in its home market it doesn't get more of a mention

Maybe the difference in longevity vis a vis its price difference compared to Ilford MG dev isn't enough to make a difference?

pentaxuser

Ilford does have a bigger distribution net than Photo Formulary. Another question: does liquidol really have a longer life than Mulltigrade? Also is longevity a top priority in choosing a print developer? I prefer Formulary BW-65 (no longer available), PF (Ansco 130) and LPD to both Multigrade and Liquidol. In my choice of both film and print developers, longevity is far less important than final print characteristics.

 

[brian steinberger]

I’ve always been an LPD advocate, but that may be changing. Recent LPD mixes up quite dark but still seems to work ok. I miss the old days when it came in cans. Always mixed up nice and slightly darker than clear. And drives me nuts that B&H won’t ship it anymore.

Now I’m toying with Moersch developers. I’ve been using SE6 blue developer for years but only for specials printing sessions because it is expensive. However, I recently had a peak at his website and he states WORKING solutions of SE6, SE4 and a few other developers I checked out last for months in a full glass bottle. I’m going to start testing this soon and SE4 and SE6 may become my only paper developers.

 

[MattKing]

Ilford does have a bigger distribution net than Photo Formulary. Another question: does liquidol really have a longer life than Mulltigrade? Also is longevity a top priority in choosing a print developer? I prefer Formulary BW-65 (no longer available), PF (Ansco 130) and LPD to both Multigrade and Liquidol. In my choice of both film and print developers, longevity is far less important than final print characteristics.

As I understand it, Ron and Bill designed Liquidol to optimize tray life. I believe they were also thinking of use in slot processors.

 

[Arthurwg]

Arthur when you say Multigrade has a short tray life, are you saying it dies during a printing session or you leave it uncovered to use the next day? I've never had this issue. My favourite developers are Ansco 130 and LPD, which i use for sale or exhibition prints. The rest of my work is done with Multigrade bought in the 5 litre jugs because it's economical and i can get it locally. I've never had issues with it, even when it's changed colour. Can you elaborate?

Multigrade changes color very quickly in the tray or bottle. I do like to keep it in a covered try for two or three days. I got the impression that the color change indicates a decline in quality/ usefulness. Perhaps that isn't true? I did switch to smaller bottles from the 5 liter jugs as I thought it easier to keep "fresh."

 

[Pieter12]

I've been using eco-pro for years and find it has reasonable tray and shelf life.

 

[GregY]

Multigrade changes color very quickly in the tray or bottle. I do like to keep it in a covered try for two or three days. I got the impression that the color change indicates a decline in quality/ usefulness. Perhaps that isn't true? I did switch to smaller bottles from the 5 liter jugs as I thought it easier to keep "fresh."

A, Multigrade changes colour, but it is not like indicator stopbath; the change does not mean it has declined. I've always been able to get as many prints/ session as i'd like. I always buy the 5litre jug and continue to get good results even after the colour has changed.

 

[logan2z]

I’ve always been an LPD advocate, but that may be changing. Recent LPD mixes up quite dark but still seems to work ok. I miss the old days when it came in cans. Always mixed up nice and slightly darker than clear. And drives me nuts that B&H won’t ship it anymore.

I've got a gallon of LPD in my B&H cart right now and it says "Free 2-Day Shipping".

 

[GregY]

I've got a gallon of LPD in my B&H cart right now and it says "Free 2-Day Shipping".

B&H will ship the liquid (i recently bought 2 gal) but not the powder.... in store pick up only.
Freestyle will ship the powder (even to Canada) but adds a surcharge for the liquid LPD.

 

[Arthurwg]

OK, thanks!

 

[logan2z]

B&H will ship the liquid (i recently bought 2 gal) but not the powder.... in store pick up only.

Yeah, I see that now. I always use the liquid so I didn't even look at the powder.

 

[Augustus Caesar]

After opening the bottle, squeeze the air from it and recap it. Then put the bottle in a seal-able plastic baggie, then put it in the refrigerator.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Are you kidding? The fact the stuff died after one day at working strength was mainly (along with the godawful stains on everything) the reason I moved to LPD decades ago.

LPD is still far and away my favorite paper developer.

I really, really hate Dektol. (The results are fine but it doesn't last and it leaves even places you'd swear you got it all up a blue-black mess later.)

I'm sorry it doesn't work for you. My experience does not reflect yours.

 

[Roger Cole]

I'm sorry it doesn't work for you. My experience does not reflect yours.

It seems there's a fair number of people with your experience and with mine, and no accounting for the difference. Well - no matter, they make many different print developers even aside from the many more that cab be scratch mixed. To each their own.

 

[miha]

I've been printing yesterday using one of my two last (glass) bottles of Bromophen, mixed in April 2022, it changed to a light straw meanwhile, however it worked splendidly. I've tried many but I think Bromophen beats them all.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

After opening the bottle, squeeze the air from it and recap it. Then put the bottle in a seal-able plastic baggie, then put it in the refrigerator.

careful with refrigerating processing chemicals. You are running the risk of some ingredients falling out of solution at low temperatures and having difficulty getting them back into solution. It is better to keep them stored cool but not cold.

 

[Roger Cole]

I've got a gallon of LPD in my B&H cart right now and it says "Free 2-Day Shipping".

LPD comes in two forms, powder and liquid. The liquid is twice the concentration of stock mixed from the powder so the working dilutions are different but, having used both, I can't tell any difference in the results when properly diluted. Could be that B&H will ship the powder but not the liquid?

B&H and their shipment restrictions is a PITA. It wouldn't bother me so much if they weren't outright lying about why. (They claim many items can't be shipped but other NYC dealers ship the same stuff. What they mean is that darkroom stuff is such a small part of their business they don't want to train people as necessary for shipping those materials. I get that, if they'd just admit that. Don't pee on my shoes and claim it's raining.)

EDIT: I looked and, oddly enough, it seems it's the powder they won't ship but they will ship the liquid. Freestyle has always shipped me either one I ordered. The powder is less expensive while the liquid is more convenient, of course.

 

[MattKing]

B&H's shipping restrictions most likely relate to the deal that they have reached with their shipping providers - the deal that results in low shipping prices for customers, but restrictions on what the shippers have to handle.
It is unfortunate that B&H don't offer higher priced shipping for the items that they currently won't ship, rather than refusing to ship them entirely, but that may also be due to the terms of that deal.

 

[Craig]

I could sen not shipping a liquid, I'm surprised at the powder though. I would have thought powder is much easier to ship and less prone to damage/leaks than a liquid.

 

[MattKing]

I could sen not shipping a liquid, I'm surprised at the powder though. I would have thought powder is much easier to ship and less prone to damage/leaks than a liquid.

It could be related to the contents of the MSDS, or other supporting shipping safety related documentation available from the manufacturer. A large manufacturer is more likely than a small manufacturer to incur the expense of making sure that various shipping services will accept a product. A retailer like B&H is unlikely to spend any money on that sort of distribution "overhead".

 

[Peter Schrager]

No one has mentioned sprint quicksilver developer...its a really y nice product
I've only used it briefly but it makes outstanding prints. Can't verify it's keeping quality either
I make ansco d55 which is warm print developer from scratch...it does last very well

 

[Augustus Caesar]

It is very easy to make paper developer. You need only metol, sodium sulphite, hydroquinone, sodium carbonate. and potassium bromide. Here is one of many similar formulas:

Dupont Developer 53-D

A general-purpose developer reproducing neutral black tones on contact and enlarging papers; it may also be used for tray development of sheet films and plates. This formula is similar to, but not identical with, Kodak Developer D-72.

Stock Solution
Water .................... 16 ounces (500cc)
Metol ..................... 45 grains (3.0 g)
sodium sulfite, anhydrous .................... 1.5 ounces ( 45 g)
hydroquinone .......................... 175 grains (12 g)
sodium carbonate, anhydrous .............. 2.25 ounces (67.5g)
potassium bromide ................. 27 grains (1.9 grams)
add cold water to make ................... 32 ounces (1 L)

Dissolve chemicals in the order given.

For paper - dilute one part of stock solution with two parts of water. Develop projection paper for 1.5 to 2.5 minutes at 68F (20C).

55D is interesting because it is unique and not a copy of a Kodak formula as were most Defender developers. It is less active than Dektol but more active than Selectol or other "warm tone" developers. It Should work for any paper.
Defender used to recommend adding lots of bromide to it to warm the results, however, the formula in the Darkroom Cookbook gives the maximum, not the range. I've found this book gets it slightly wrong just a little too often.

From a Defender publication:

Defender 55D
Stock Solution
Water (125F or 52C) 500.0 ml
Metol 2.5 grams
Sodium Sulfite, dessicated 37.5 grams
Hydroquinone 10.0 grams
Sodium Carbonate, anhydrous 37.5 grams (mono 45g)
Potassium Bromide 4 to 13 grams
Water to make 1.0 liter


Defender 54-D
Metol 2.7g
Sodium sulfite (anhy) 40.2 g
Hydroquinone 10.5g
Sodium carbonate (anhy) 75g (mono 90g)
KBr 0.8g
Water to 1 litre

Also look here:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjh_77AyJWEAxX0lYkEHWOmDnQQFnoECDQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fforgottenbooks.com%2Fit%2Fdownload%2FPhotographicFactsandFormulas_10892114.pdf&usg=AOvVaw26oEI954lNAzXo4mDHvJPh&opi=89978449

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

I've read that Richard J Henry and David Vestal both diluted Dektol/D-72 1+1 rather than the usual 1+2 dilution.

 

[Roger Cole]

B&H's shipping restrictions most likely relate to the deal that they have reached with their shipping providers - the deal that results in low shipping prices for customers, but restrictions on what the shippers have to handle.
It is unfortunate that B&H don't offer higher priced shipping for the items that they currently won't ship, rather than refusing to ship them entirely, but that may also be due to the terms of that deal.

Ok then, I can understand that too, just say so. Don't claim that the items "can't" be shipped due to some transportation law when other NYC stores ship the very same items.