Paper developer with long shelf life

cerber0s

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Are there any paper developers with long shelf life? I was doing some printing the other day and my Ilford Multigrade developer (working solution) had gone bad. I set out to mix some more and noticed that the concentrate was completely brown, a very dark brown, like coffee. I poured some on a piece of paper exposed to light, and it did nothing. Luckily I had a bottle of unopened Multigrade developer so I got the printing done, but it got me thinking about my choice of developer.

Are there any paper developers with long shelf life? A quick google gave me Ansco 130, which I would love to try, but it appears it can’t be bought, and I can’t get hold of the chemicals to mix it. Are there others?
 

logan2z

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There was a thread on this subject not long ago:

Any suggestions for a paper developer with good longevity?

I've traditionally used Ilford's Multigrade Developer to make fiber-based prints and like the results I get with it, but it goes off too quickly and I'd like something that I can re-use across several printing sessions. I've read good things about Eco Pro and Liquidol and both are reported to...
www.photrio.com
 

GregY

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I use Ilford Multigrade as my day-to-day developer and Ansco 130 or LPD for exhibition prints. Here's a photo of my current jug & a test print developed in it at 1+9 last night. The container was opened 6 months ago.

Ansco 130 is available from the Photo Formulary... see paper developers
 

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cerber0s

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Thank you!
Thanks! That print looks amazing!
 

koraks

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I use ID78 or ID62 and mix the concentrated stock as given by @Ian Graint:

I usually only mix 500ml of concentrate at a time, and I reuse and replenish the working stock developer. I don't do a whole lot of silver gelatin B&W printing, so those two bottles of 500ml (stock + working strength) last me many months. I ensure that the working strength bottle is always entirely full so there's a lot less chance for oxidation. I allow the concentrate bottle to be only partially full and the high amount of sulfite in both developers protects it sufficiently long (up to about a year in my experience).

At some point, I figured that the most effective way to prevent stuff from going bad was to keep it around in dry powder form. It was one of the main reasons I started DIY-ing most of my photo chemistry.
 
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cerber0s

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GregY said:
Thank you.... I also wonder why your developer failed....
Click to expand...

Yeah, it seems to have happened quite suddenly. It wasn’t long ago I used it to mix the working solution.
 

bdial

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liquidol, which is also sold by photo formulary lasts very well, but you would need to check on shipping to europe for it also.
Moersch Photochemie has a few paper developers that keep well. Shipping should be much easier for you. https://www.moersch-photochemie.de/en/
 

GregY

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According to data info,Liquidol in an unopened bottle is expected to last a year, while the info for Multigrade says 24 months. I've never decanted Multigrade into smaller bottles & my current container is more than 8 months old. It would be interesting to find out how old cerberus' developer is. I certainly wouldn't pay to ship liquid from N America to Sweden. Ansco(PF) 130 is in powder form, and you may yet be able to find LPD in powder.
 

chuckroast

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Most paper developers do not have a long shelf life, and should be considered one session use once mixed.

Ansco 130 is claimed to be otherwise, though I've not personally tested it.

In any case, both stock and working solutions should be stored in glass bottles with polycone style caps NOT in plastic. For large volumes of stock (of anything), I break it down into 1 litre bottles for storage so, that at most, 1 litre is in use getting exposure to air.

The one exception I have to this rule is Dektol stock. I leave that in a floating lid storage system that is apparently designed for chemistry and it seems to keep well for 2-3 months that way as the floating lid minimizes air creeping into the storage chamber.

I have also stored stock D-23, DK-50, and D-76 as well as working strength HC-110B in glass bottles with polycone caps and had excellent results, even with some air in the bottles. The HC-110 has a limited capacity for reuse (but it does have some) and it reaches that from use long before the storage matters.
 
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cmacd123

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if you are in europe, you might want to ask the folks at Adox in berlin if they have sugestions that they carry.
 

miha

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In Europe one should look at the Moersch line of developers. ECO 4812 (liquid) and SEPAROL HE (powder) in particular are unbeatable in this regard. I have used both and they just last and last...
 
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cerber0s

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Thank you all! I’ve seen the Moersch developers flash by from Fotoimpex.

The Ansco 130 being powder would certainly make it easier to ship.
 

BMbikerider

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I have used Ilford MG for as long as I can remember (at least 20+ years) and have never had a problem. However I do take action before I open the new bottle.

I find the optimum quantity to be used is 100 cc which when diluted 1-9 gives a full litre, enough to process up to 12x16 . The remaining 900 cc, I decant 500cc into a brown glass bottle and the remaining 400 cc into 4 x 100cc bottles. That way they never degrade before the last bottle is used.

I also go one step further by buying a 5 litre* container and once opened this is decanted into 9 x 500cc brown bottles and 5 x 100cc bottles. Like the smaller quantities that will last right until I have finished the 5 litres. The glass bottles are usually available from suppliers around 75p each (about 1$) Make sure that the bottles are the type that have a neoprene or similar seal in the cap because the other type are not 100% air-tight. Of course buying a glass sealable bottle costs a bit more but it is of course a one off purchase.

I use the same storage techniques with RA4 colour developer.

*You may will probably discover that the 5 litres container is generously filled and you may be lucky and find an additional 50-75cc of developer left over
 
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chuckroast

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^^^ This is the correct answer.
 

BMbikerider

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You may also find that buying a container of 5 litres of developer costs the same as 3 x 1 litre bottles so is also considerably cheaper in the long run
 
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