Paper Developers?

[Danner]

Need to order more, have used Dektol for years, recently using Ilford MultiGrade paper developer. Both work well. The paper is all Ilford MGRC Deluxe Glossy (latest version) and Ilford MGFB Classic Glossy.
What do you like for performance, cost, convenience, storage life, etc.?
Thank you for your thoughts...

 

[gone]

I just ordered some Liquidol, which is supposed to be a liquid version of Dektol. Twenty bucks buys 1 liter, which will make 2.5 gallons working solution. That's a great value. I'd been using Dektol also and wanted to get away from it, but also wanted to find something similar. My last prints were developed in Legacypro Liquid Paper Developer. No complaints, the prints look just like the Dektol prints, and it also makes 2.5 gallons.

 

[cjbecker]

Ive always used 130 developer, order it from photographers formulary, last forever. Just recently started using it straight, like it even more then 1-1 that ive used for about 10 years. I am now keeping a 1L bottle of the working solution going and just add fresh developer to keep the 1L bottle full after each session. Basically a replenished setup. We will see how long it goes for.

I do want to give the liquidol a try tho.

 

[MattKing]

Liquidol was designed by Bill Troop and the late Ron Mowrey (Photo Engineer here on APUG/Photrio) to provide performance similar to Dektol plus greatly enhanced life in open trays. My sense is that many users have no difficulty pouring partly used developer back into a storage bottle at the end of a printing session and then starting up again with that partially used developer in the next session.
I've personally used Kodak Polymax-T liquid developer (branded as Liquid Dektol in some markets) for years, but I don't think that it is being sold anymore in the practical 1 litre bottles. If it is, I recommend it.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I switched to Dektol after using various other developer because I can eliminate on variable by timing the development. All the paper developer are susceptible to failure due to oxygen, time, etc and tend to die off after a short time.

 

[Pieter12]

I have used EcoPro print developer forbears with no problems. In a slot processor, it lasts for days when covered. Deep, neutral blacks with Ilford MGFB glossy, consistent times in a range of temperatures.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

D-72 mixed from scratch.

I've tried mucking around with A-120, A-130, soft-this and warm-that. And frankly the results weren't all that different. A-130 did have some effect with warm tone paper and selenium but I thought the result rather ugly.

 

[dpurdy]

You could get a set of scales. Buy bulk chems from photographers formulary. I have successfully mixed all my paper developers and most of my film developers from scratch for many many years, while making a business of custom lab work.

 

[Ohio Sean]

I agree with dpurdy--think about making your own. The Darkroom Cookbook and several other references gives you access to lots of options with just a few stock chemicals. I believe I save money doing this, too.

I use the "E72" formula mixed homemade. You make a liter of stock at a time so run very little risk of it going bad. Only takes a few minutes to make up and is safer for you and the environment than Dektol. The kicker? I like the results more! Looks fantastic.

This is true of film developer, too. I make a 1 liter bottle of a homemade Xtol variant that works fantastic. The chances of a liter of stock solution going bad compared to the 5 liters a bag of Xtol makes is very, very low.

 

[Dali]

Ethol LPD.

 

[Danner]

Thanks for all the replies. I am checking them out, including the retail sources, data sheets, and costs, etc.

Dektol would be fine with me, except for all the talk of root beer color and poor performance in the Alaris era of Kodak. Ilford is OK, but I'm not real keen on shipping liquids and it seems to get used up rather quickly with 500ml bottles.

 

[Danner]

I have used EcoPro print developer forbears with no problems. In a slot processor, it lasts for days when covered. Deep, neutral blacks with Ilford MGFB glossy, consistent times in a range of temperatures.

I also use a NOVA 8x10 slot processor with the tubular covers. I very much like the set-up and it would be good to keep the developer in there for a week or so, covered. I don't do real large volumes of prints, just a handful in the evenings, 2-3 days a week. Just go back from vacation with 7-8 rolls of 36 exp. to print, so I will be ramping up activity for a couple weeks here.

 

[mshchem]

Ilford Bromophen. 1x5 liter box makes 20 liters of working solution. Stock solution and working solution keeps very well in full bottles. I used Dektol for years, Bromophen is cleaner higher capacity, and none of the uncertainty of Kodak powders right now.

 

[mshchem]

I also use a NOVA 8x10 slot processor with the tubular covers. I very much like the set-up and it would be good to keep the developer in there for a week or so, covered. I don't do real large volumes of prints, just a handful in the evenings, 2-3 days a week. Just go back from vacation with 7-8 rolls of 36 exp. to print, so I will be ramping up activity for a couple weeks here.

Nix the Bromophen 5 L would last a couple lifetimes using a nice slot processor

 

[ProfessorC1983]

I use the "E72" formula mixed homemade. You make a liter of stock at a time so run very little risk of it going bad. Only takes a few minutes to make up and is safer for you and the environment than Dektol. The kicker? I like the results more! Looks fantastic.

That is great to hear. I've been thinking of switching to E-72 once my bottle of Liquidol is exhausted as I already have all the ingredients on hand and I need to find something to do with all this vitamin C!

 

[Paul Howell]

I use Clayton P20, 1:9, Freestyle sells as their house brand and I think Photo Wearhouse sells a powered version as well. Has pretty good tray life, working characteristics similar to Dektol. Draw back is than an open bottle will not last more than a few weeks at the most. Been thinking about mixing D72 in small batches as needed.

 

[Zathras]

If you're into mixing your own from bulk chems, Ansco 103, not 130, is a good one to try. Dilute like 1+2 and develop like you would in Dektol or D-72.

 

[revdoc]

Another vote for E-72. I make enough (diluted 1+3) for a session and discard when I'm done. Good neutral blacks with MGV.

I started doing this because I sometimes go months between printing on SG paper, so it's good to have an option that never goes off. However, it's an excellent developer, and I'd use it even if I printed every day.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Need to order more, have used Dektol for years, recently using Ilford MultiGrade paper developer. Both work well. The paper is all Ilford MGRC Deluxe Glossy (latest version) and Ilford MGFB Classic Glossy.
What do you like for performance, cost, convenience, storage life, etc.?
Thank you for your thoughts...

If you like Dektol (D- 72) then there's no reason to try something else. you won't find a better paper developer but, you will find find a few that work as well.

 

[grain elevator]

Another vote for E-72. I make enough (diluted 1+3) for a session and discard when I'm done. Good neutral blacks with MGV.

I've started mixing a liter of working strength developer and replenishing it with vitamin C powder and a bit of washing soda. How much exactly doesn't matter with paper developer, at least not for me who doesn't need absolutely reproducible results session to session. No need to throw the other chems away when the ascorbate goes bad, no risk of Fenton reaction killing a batch of stock solution. Third or fourth long session for this first batch was last Sunday, it was first mixed about two months ago. Was working great with Ilford MG RC deluxe.

 

[Pat Erson]

I really like Tetenal's Eukobrom.

 

[Danner]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. A lot of interesting options. As to mixing my own, that's seems like a whole other hobby, and my consumption is just too low to support it. At the end of the day, I decided to order a couple pouches of the LegacyPro Dektol clone, partially because I like (and trust) their ECO-Pro XTOL clone. Also, its cost is low enough that I am OK using it as a one-shot in my slot processor, even though I would rarely exhaust it.
Cheers to all. And, photrio is an awesome forum.

 

[mrosenlof]

I also use E-72 and mix fresh for each printing session. I keep PC-glycol concentrate on hand and use that for my phenidone/C starting point.

my backup is 30ml HC-110 concentrate, 15g Sodium Carbonate, 1L water. Works quite well. I haven't figured out costs.

 

[spijker]

I like the Eco Pro liquid paper developer. Works well, keeps well in the Nova slot processor and is less toxic for the environment. Plus it comes in dark brown PET bottles that are nice to reuse for other photo chemicals like toners.

 

[Tim Stapp]

Ethol LPD.

This, plus it is it's own replenisher.