Powder paper developers

Where I am it can be difficult and expensive to get chemicals shipped. The main problem I have is with developers and there short life once opened/mixed.

An ideal solution would be a powder, which can be mixed in small quantities and the rest stored. (can Xtol be used successfully as a paper developer?) Perfect would be individual sachets that make up one litre.

Any suggestions please?

I print mainly on Ilford RC multigrade

Thanks in advance

Ian

Purchase the raw chems and mix just what you need. Premixed powdered chems need to be mixed all at once for consistancies sake, but do last a good long time if kept in full, tightly stoppered bottles once diluted to stock strength.

I like Ilford Bromophen powder. It is available in 1L and 5L packets. You dilute the stock to working 1:3 so a 1L packet doesn't last long, with big trays and fiber paper 1L only makes enough for 2-4 sessions and the mixed up chems last 6 months in a full bottle, supposedly 3 in a half full bottle though I don't trust anything that long in a half full bottle.

Kodak Dektol comes in powder form.

Yes and Dektol is also available in 1 litre (plus 1 gallon and 5 gallon) packets which you should be able to use up fairly quickly. Any smaller quantities and you'll likely need to mix your own as mentioned above.

Paper Developer

I agree with Ralnphot, get the raw chemicals and mix your own. It costs pennies and is not dificult at all. I like D-72, mixed 1:2. It lasts in the diluted state for months in closed full bottles. I got my chemicals at Photoformulary and bottles at starburst bottle. Good luck.

Best regards,
Chris

As you live in Portugal you may also be able to get Calbe N113 (aka Adolux Adotol Konstant). It has a very long shelf life, even once beeing mixed.

If it is mix your own developer, then things can get very simple once you have a few basic supplies. I regualrly mix things to 1L size, and sometimes to 500mL quantities.

My bag of sodium sulfite I bought from a now sadly defunct photochem supplier, but have a new local source lined up from a food ingredient suppiler (sausages or wine making anyone?)

My sodium carbonate comes from the grocery store laundry detergent aisle as washing soda. Swimming pool maintenance guys also use it to lower pH.

My kodalk (sodium metoborate) for film developers is made in a calculated concentration as aqueous solution with the right weighted quanitities of borax (again grocery store- laundry booster) and soduim hydroxide (drain cleaner or old style paint remover from hardware store, or from soap makers supplier). Take care with the hydroxide, powerful stuff.

Sodium bicarbonate comes from the baking aisle as baking powder.

Then I mail order metol, hydroquinone and potassium bromide from the Formulary.

While I have a scale (triple beam, used from *bay) it is possible to use measuring spoons for the accuracy needed.
There are converiosn factors to spoons in the back pages of my 2nd edition copy of the darkroom cookbook, a gold mine to mix your own folks.

Mike Wilde said:

... Sodium bicarbonate comes from the baking aisle as baking powder. ...

Click to expand...

Lest we mislead, that's baking SODA (there's a difference).