Paper Developers?

[Doremus Scudder]

I've been mixing ID-62 from scratch mostly these days. D-72 as well, but less often. I make as much as I need for a session or mix a stock solution if I'm planning on printing for several days.

Once you have the raw chemicals, mixing your own developer is faster, easier and cheaper.

Doremus

 

[Down Under]

(Later) Ian Grant's comments in two posts re PQ developers are interesting. Over the years (I set up my first darkroom as a high school kid in 1961 and mixed chemistry from scratch from the late '60s) I too have played around with most of the older PQ developers for both films and papers he writes about. Of the lot of them, PQ Universal is probably the best I've used over all that time, with D163 a close second. Food for thought...

A small correction to my earlier post (#50). In the first sentence, I meant MQ developers, not PQ. In the second sentence, PQ Universal is correct.

Too much early Christmas cheer, I suspect. Otherwise, season's best to everyone here in this dismal time, at least here in Australia.

 

[MattKing]

There is nothing particularly special about LPD so if it is difficult to obtain, move on.

The characteristic of LPD that makes it special is its long life when used over multiple sessions, usually with simple "top up the bottle" self replenishment.

 

[Ian Grant]

The characteristic of LPD that makes it special is its long life when used over multiple sessions, usually with simple "top up the bottle" self replenishment.

Anecdotal, I expect. I doubt there is anything novel going on. It’s a PQ-carbonate developer as far as I remember. You could probably get the same activity out of anything similar.

I use ID-78, which is only a slight variant of ID-62, no Benzotriazole and more Bromide as it's a Warm tone developer, others who use it say it'' keep 2 or 3 sessions, In a Nova system it will, in a tray covered personally I'd rather use fresh developer. As I've written numerous times I mix to a commercial strength, 2.5 times the concentration of the published formula, that means using Potassium rather than Sodium Carbonate and a small amount of Sodium Hydroxide, keeps 18 months +. use 1+ 9.

Ian

 

[gorbas]

I use ID-78, which is only a slight variant of ID-62

Ian, can you please share with us final and full recipe of your modification? Thank you in advance!

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

Ian, can you please share with us final and full recipe of your modification? Thank you in advance!

I'm not Ian but I've found his website very helpful for looking up old formulas:

http://www.lostlabours.co.uk/photography/formulae/developers/devID78.htm

 

[Ian Grant]

The Formulae are here. I've been using ID-78 for nearly 30 years, and the concentrated version for 14 of those years, the formula is very close to Neutol WA.

When I first tried a concentrated version there could be problems with Sodium Carbonate precipitating out, then I spotted a concentrated PQ developer in an Ilford Patent and realised it was PQ Universal which is the liquid version of ID-62 so switched to Potassium Carbonate and the small amount of Sodium Hydroxide.

Ian

 

[gorbas]

Thank you very much Raghu and Ian!

 

[john_s]

I make up ID-78 at triple strength by substituting potassium carbonate for sodium carbonate and Dimezone-S for phenidone, both adjusted to molecular weight. Using potassium sulphite would be even better but it's hard to source and although it can be made with potassium metabisulphite and potassium hydroxide I haven't needed to bother.

How warm tone is it? I have found the effect to be extremely subtle but that would depend on the choice of paper. It does keep very well.

 

[Peter Schrager]

I've been using Ansco D55 for many years with great success on WT papers. seems to have great staying power as it has never let me down.
I make 2 liters and fill the containers to the brim. after 12 prints I refresh the tray with more developer just to be on the safe side.

 

[gordrob]

When I began in the 1960's there was no Dektol here in the UK, we had Kodak D163 instead, but then there were a few Kodak Ltd developers never made or sold in the US, and a few EK developers never made here.

Ian

I started with an Ansco Developing Kit complete with tank, trays, contact printer and chemicals. Ansco supplied their Vividol developer with the kit but the local camera store had mostly Kodak chemical.

 

[Loose Gravel]

I like developers without hydroquinone nor metol. I very much like DS-12. Some of the liquid concentrates are similar.

 

[grainyvision]

I like developers without hydroquinone nor metol. I very much like DS-12. Some of the liquid concentrates are similar.

Why specifically? Due to toxicity?

 

[gone]

The op has probably bought something by now, but I like my Sprint Quick Silver developer. Several times I've printed 11x14 for 4-6 hrs, covered the trays w/ saran wrap, and took up where I left off the next day. Very consistent, and makes nice RC or FB prints that are neutral, maybe a little bit cooler than Dektol.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Why specifically? Due to toxicity?

I have decided to avoid toxicity by not drinking the photochemicals. YMMV

 

[Loose Gravel]

Yes, due to toxicity. I have enough cancers. And I'm on a septic. DS-12 lasts forever in the tray or bottle. Prints are a nice color. I don't tone either, so print color is from the paper and the developer combo. Ilford MGFB has a nice warmth, but not overpowering, with DS-12.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

I like developers without hydroquinone nor Metol. I very much like DS-12. Some of the liquid concentrates are similar.

Which developer formula do you have for DS-12? Mine has Metol in it, as does DS-2.

 

[john_s]

I think DS-12 is a film developer. DS-14 is a paper developer with neither metol or hydroquinone.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

I think DS-12 is a film developer. DS-14 is a paper developer with neither metol or hydroquinone.

This is correct.

 

[Philippe-Georges]

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.

There is a good working hydrochinon free version as formulated by Chris Patton (Stanford Hopkins Marine Station), the E-72, which is health and environment friendly, and very efficient and long lasting too.
I am using this to home brew formula since the demise of AGFA as a substitute for the Neutol Plus.

 

[Richard Jepsen]

I’ve used Multigrade, LPD, 130, Dektol, Eco Pro, Bromophen, Ilford PQ and one or two others. Way back I abandoned Dektol over its shadows and 130 caused paper stains, expensive, and not consistent for me. The differences are minor between most developers. Paper is a much bigger delta. Now days its about convenience so I use a concentrated liquid like Ilford Multigrade, PQ, or Eco Pro. I’m currently enlarging Foma Fomatone 532 in Multigrade, a neutral developer. I still get warm brown print tones after toning the paper in 1:28 selenium for 5 min.

 

[Philippe-Georges]

This is my slightly modified formula for E-72, originally published by Chris Patton, which I use now for more than 15 years (since the demise of AGFA).
It saw some minor adaptations as my insights and needs evolved, and is now, to my humble opinion, the best working with FOMA FB 111.
It's written in Flemish, I haven't yet found the courage to translate it in plain English, sorry for that...

 

[Tom Kershaw]

This is my slightly modified formula for E-72, originally published by Chris Patton, which I use now for more than 15 years (since the demise of AGFA).
It saw some minor adaptations as my insights and needs evolved, and is now, to my humble opinion, the best working with FOMA FB 111.

I have been using a batch of DS-14 made up in last summer (July) and replenished since then, it is still working well. I pour out solution from the container (approx. 4 litres), printing in a tray and then pour back into the container.

 

[Philippe-Georges]

I have been using a batch of DS-14 made up in last summer (July) and replenished since then, it is still working well. I pour out solution from the container (approx. 4 litres), printing in a tray and then pour back into the container.

This E-72 has the strange characteristic of becoming stronger by 'ageing' and then drops till uselessly weak rather fast.
As a matter of fact, the blacks are becoming somewhat 'deeper', without changing the mid tones, after using the freshly made solution for a while, then it stays unchanged for a long time.
That's why I learned to season fresh developer by adding a little amount of 'old' developer, if I have to replace the 'dead' one while in the same printing session.

I don't replenish but top-off after each time I pour the liquid back in the 2,5l brown bottle.
The to top-off amount mostly equals 10 to 15% of the total volume, so it is rather similar to replenishing...

 

[Tom Kershaw]

This E-72 has the strange characteristic of becoming stronger by 'ageing' and then drops till uselessly weak rather fast.

One advantage of DS-14 is consistency of performance; I experimented with the E-72 formula before switching over. DS-14 replenisher is simply the developer formula without Potassium bromide.

https://web.archive.org/web/2005122...grain.org/Photo-Tech/print-dev-recommend.html