Paper developer?

District Photo · Feb 12, 2016

I finally, after years, have access to a darkroom but I need to supply my own paper chemistry. I have only used Sprint Quicksilver and Dektol in the past. What other developers should I be considering? Maybe Photographer's Formulary 130 would be worth a try as it has crazy long shelf life and I will only be able to make it to the darkroom every other week at the absolute most. I'll be printing on mostly multigrade RC paper with the occasional print on fiber neutral or warm tone paper.

Edit: I also see that Kodak discontinued Plus-X. What is the world coming to?!

palewin · Feb 12, 2016

I print on Ilford, mostly FB multi grade, but sometimes on RC, and use (and recommend) Ilford Multigrade Developer. It's liquid, so easy to use, and the open concentrate has a reasonable, but not great, life. I have used Photographer's Formulary paper developers, but find them pricey relative to the Ilford (although I do use PF PMK and Pyrocat film developers as my standards).

Wayne · Feb 12, 2016

If you are interested you could also mix your own Ansco 130, which also has a very long shelf life.

Gerald C Koch · Feb 12, 2016

I would personally stick with Kodak Dektol (D-72). Being an MQ developer it is easy to adjust the image tone either warmer or colder. AN-130 uses Glycin which is expensive and has a poor shelf life as a solid.

MattKing · Feb 12, 2016

I use and recommend Kodak Polymax T, if you can easily source it.

jim appleyard · Feb 13, 2016

Plus X has been gone for 10 (+-) years. The world has been coming to an end for some time now...

Wayne · Feb 13, 2016

Gerald C Koch said:
I would personally stick with Kodak Dektol (D-72). Being an MQ developer it is easy to adjust the image tone either warmer or colder. AN-130 uses Glycin which is expensive and has a poor shelf life as a solid.

Unless you freeze it, and then it lasts for years.

winger · Feb 13, 2016

I use Ilford multigrade with both RC and FB - liquid, easy to measure, etc... Sprint does make a paper developer that's pretty good, too - also liquid and measures the same as Ilford's, slightly cheaper maybe.

Dali · Feb 13, 2016

Ethol LPD. Not cheap but last forever.

Rudeofus · Feb 13, 2016

I am in a similar situation and can use my foto club's dark room once a week, if that. Even during these sessions I often don't print all that much, or just small format test prints. After seeing Ilford Multigrade paper developer working solution go bad within one week, I decided to mix my own Ansco 130, which lasted for dozens of dark room sessions over almost a year. Then I started mixing other recipes which avoided the hideously expensive Glycin, and sure enough, just about any developer would last for months and months as long as it was fairly concentrated. Right now I am on a batch of Dektol stock solution, mixed long before Christmas, and still going strong.

PS: Concentrated liquids dissolve much less Oxygen to begin with, so you lose a lot less development agent per time interval.

nworth · Feb 13, 2016

Yes, Formulary 130 (their version of Ansco 130) would be worth trying. It is fairly long lived and gives slightly warmer tones than Dektol. As long as you are at the Formulary site, there are a couple of other paper developers you might like. Formulary BW65 is a relative of 130, but it is packed as a two solution kit to increase its shelf life. I've used it, and it is quite good. One of my favorites is Liquidol. A bit pricy, but the results are beautiful. It also is known for a very long life, both on the shelf and in the tray. It produces very cold tones. I have not tried it, but Formulary Versaprint certainly looks interesting.

District Photo · Feb 13, 2016

jim appleyard said:
Plus X has been gone for 10 (+-) years. The world has been coming to an end for some time now...

Coincidentally, it has been about that long since I was last in a darkroom! Back then I was shooting mostly medium with Tri-X 320/400 or Pan-F Plus. However, carrying around my RB67 isn't as appealing as it once was and I sold my M645 so I am gravitating back towards 35mm and slower films/faster lenses. I guess I'll have to give the Ilford 100 speed films and Fomapan 100 a shot. I was never huge on T-Max.

I ended up ordering Ilford Multigrade to start while I get my feet wet again due to the ease of mixing/shelf life/cost. I figue I'll use it as a one shot developer for a few months before moving on to a different developer. Thanks for the tips, everyone!

destroya · Feb 14, 2016

I second mixing your own AN 130. lasts a long time. freeze the glycin and it lasts for a very long time.

Wayne · Feb 14, 2016

nworth said:
Yes, Formulary 130 (their version of Ansco 130) would be worth trying. It is fairly long lived and gives slightly warmer tones than Dektol. As long as you are at the Formulary site, there are a couple of other paper developers you might like. Formulary BW65 is a relative of 130, but it is packed as a two solution kit to increase its shelf life. I've used it, and it is quite good. One of my favorites is Liquidol. A bit pricy, but the results are beautiful. It also is known for a very long life, both on the shelf and in the tray. It produces very cold tones. I have not tried it, but Formulary Versaprint certainly looks interesting.

BW-65 is great developer, cooler than Ansco 130 but the working solution dies very quickly IME. You'll get one session out of it. But I liked the results so much I experimented with mixing phenidone versions of Ansco 130, which seems to be what BW-65 is trying to accomplish too. This gave me pretty similar results to BW-65 but in a one-part, long lasting stock solution. Anyway that's probably beyond what someone new to darkroom work needs to worry about.

District Photo · Feb 14, 2016

nworth said:
Yes, Formulary 130 (their version of Ansco 130) would be worth trying. It is fairly long lived and gives slightly warmer tones than Dektol. As long as you are at the Formulary site, there are a couple of other paper developers you might like. Formulary BW65 is a relative of 130, but it is packed as a two solution kit to increase its shelf life. I've used it, and it is quite good. One of my favorites is Liquidol. A bit pricy, but the results are beautiful. It also is known for a very long life, both on the shelf and in the tray. It produces very cold tones. I have not tried it, but Formulary Versaprint certainly looks interesting.

Wayne said:
BW-65 is great developer, cooler than Ansco 130 but the working solution dies very quickly IME. You'll get one session out of it. But I liked the results so much I experimented with mixing phenidone versions of Ansco 130, which seems to be what BW-65 is trying to accomplish too. This gave me pretty similar results to BW-65 but in a one-part, long lasting stock solution. Anyway that's probably beyond what someone new to darkroom work needs to worry about.

When I was in college the only cool/warm tones I recall being taught referred to the paper itself being warm tone or cool tone paper. Am I correct in assuming that the cold/cool/warm tones you guys refer to are a result of the chemistry tinting the emulsion or base paper?

Wayne · Feb 14, 2016

District Photo said:
When I was in college the only cool/warm tones I recall being taught referred to the paper itself being warm tone or cool tone paper. Am I correct in assuming that the cold/cool/warm tones you guys refer to are a result of the chemistry tinting the emulsion or base paper?

I'm talking only about image tone, not the color of the paper base. That is usually discussed in terms of actual color rather than warm/cold; e.g. white vs cream vs ivory.

District Photo · Feb 15, 2016

That makes sense. I found an article on the Ilford website that explained it as well. Thanks!

kreeger · Feb 15, 2016

I also cast a vote in for Kodak Polymax T. It's like a liquid Dektol, dilutes 1:9 to make a working solution, around $10 per quart of concentrate. I add 8 oz to 56 oz of water to work in an 11x14 tray.

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/1388354-Kodak-Polymax-T-Developer-Liquid-1-quart

I develop 2.5 minutes for fiber base paper, and about 1.5 mins for doing RC contact sheets in Ilford MG. Has a nice color.

Wayne · Feb 15, 2016

kreeger said:
I also cast a vote in for Kodak Polymax T. It's like a liquid Dektol, dilutes 1:9 to make a working solution, around $10 per quart of concentrate. I add 8 oz to 56 oz of water to work in an 11x14 tray.
.

That's not 1:9 though.

ritternathan · Feb 16, 2016

Another vote for Formulary 130/Ansco 130. Yes the glycin is expensive, but once mixed it lasts and lasts. I have now kept glycin in the freezer for two years in a mason jar with no change in activity or color (it being a dull slightly off-white). If you keep 1 or 2L of working solution, at each printing session add 125ml of stock to each liter and it goes on forever.

RSalles · Feb 16, 2016

Nathan,

What do you use to dilute glycin and what's the dilution you use? Any caveats for diluting it, as temp, or other?

TIA,

RSalles

ritternathan · Feb 17, 2016

There is a long thread on PF/Ansco 130 in the b&w developers section. Some argue for using the developer at or above 72-4F. Glycin has a terrible shelf life. I keep it in two zip-lock bags inside a small mason jar in the freezer. I have experimented with putting it in glycol/glycerine, but you need TEA for that and it oxidizes sooner or later. The freezer is easier and works better. I try to order 100g of it in the winter and then freeze what I don't mix into my 130 solution. If you go to Photographer's Formulary you can download the instruction sheet for 130 and follow the mixing directions. If you do have problems with the glycin going into the solution, try adding a small amount of rubbing alcohol 99/90% to the solution. I mix my 130 working solution at 1+1, so I keep a couple of 1L glass jars with my working solution already mixed up and then use it for one printing session. When I print again, I pour out about 900ml of the 1L of used working solution, leaving the crap at the bottom if possible. Then I add 125ml of stock 130 to my tray with 125ml of water and print away. When I am done I dump out the crap at the bottom of the jar and pour the tray into the 1L container. I keep both the stock and working solution in glass. I have been doing this for over two years. Good luck, Nathan

kreeger · Mar 3, 2016

Wayne said:
That's not 1:9 though.

Your Right, I can't add today. 57.6 oz Water, 6.4 oz Polymax.

Wayne · Mar 4, 2016

kreeger said:
Your Right, I can't add today. 57.6 oz Water, 6.4 oz Polymax.

That's better.

Roger Cole · Mar 4, 2016

Dali said:
Ethol LPD. Not cheap but last forever.

This. I've tried many and LPD is my favorite by a huge margin.

Here's a post I made in an old thread about using a bottle of mixed, previously used, working strength LPD that was nearly two years old:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Nothing else I've tried lasts like it, and it's clean working too, no finding dark stains the next day on anything you got a drop on, like Dektol.

It's more expensive than Dektol but not more than other really good developers and it's worth it.

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