Printing at 24 Degrees???

[thefizz]

I was looking for a developing tray warmer and I was told that a cheap option was to get a warming tray for making wine. After getting one, I find that it warms the developer at around 24C Degrees and cannot be adjusted.

I have always worked around 20C so if I use this tray warmer at 24C and expose less than normal, will my prints come out very different.

Peter

 

[Ian Grant]

Yes

A bit more contrasty.

Expose the same and just cut your developing time and you'll get the same results.

I probably work a little warmer still but I use Warm Tone papers in warm toned developers and develop for 45 seconds. It's horses for courses.

 

[geraldatwork]

I found a good easy solution for my garage is cold in the winter, usually about 50-60 deg f. I purchased one of those heating pads for bad backs or other aches and pains. Under the blanket type covering is soft plastic covered and I just wrap it in another layer of plastic so it doesn't get wet. I place it under my developer tray. It has 3 heating settings and I find the lowest or middle setting keeps the developer at 68 deg f. Picked it up for $3 on ebay.

 

[dancqu]

Reptiles like to keep warm and little seeds in their starter mix too. Dan

 

[fschifano]

As long as your solutions are in the range of about 18 to 24 deg. C. it won't make a bit of difference. Development will complete a bit faster at warmer temperatures as expected, but that's about it. Prints should be developed to completion, and since you're working under safelight conditions you can watch it happen in front of your eyes. I practice exactly NO temperature control with my print developer, always working at the ambient temperature of my darkroom. In winter that is more or less around 20 deg C., sometimes colder, with my space heater going. In summer it can go over 30 deg. C. Prints I've made in summer and winter look the same. Control your exposure and contrast under the enlarger (with VC filters if you ar using VC paper) and develop to completion. Pulling a print early to contol density is a bad move. It will leave you with muddy looking prints.

 

[thefizz]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Peter

 

[john_s]

Agfa in their pdf for print developers list times for various temps: 20, 25 and 30 degC. Just the times are different. When it's hot, things can go wrong faster, so be careful.

 

[Ian Grant]

Prints should be developed to completion, .........
Pulling a print early to contol density is a bad move. It will leave you with muddy looking prints.

If prints were developed to cmpletion you could leave them in Developer as long as you liked.

Prints are exposed and developed to produce the required range of tones and gain the reqired Dmax in the shadows.

When using Warm toned papers it is often common to increase exposure and shorten development times to vary the desired warmth of the paper.

 

[thefizz]

Thank you all, much appreciated.

Peter