Reg:- What print developer and paper for a newbie

[markbarendt]

You need to look at the powder. One gallon kit of Ethol LPD has far more capacity than a gallon of Dektol, especially when replenished you get as much as 400 prints out of a gallon kit.

Yep, kinda like the energizer bunny, keeps going and going and going.

The only problems I've had when replenishing have been "leftovers" from open tray processing (solved completely by filtering the used solution as it goes back into storage) and my laziness/creative eye.

LPD seems to last so long and the tones I like come with very dilute solutions (close to the edge of what can print nice densities and what won't) that it's easy and often rewarding to get lazy about keeping up with replenishment.

At 1+4 or thicker it's perfectly reliable, when it is allowed to "float" thinner/toward exhaustion it takes some creativity and guessing on the time to get the density where you might want it but it can reward you with interesting warm tones.