Rodinal for prints?

Murray@uptowngallery · Oct 1, 2007

I have tried searching but keeping getting results with all words (Rodinal, prints) which ends up nearly unfiltered & useless.

So, apologies - I have to ask despite having seen a comment somewhere on someone using Rodinal for prints and being surprised they liked the results.

Since it's so versatile for film, is it usable for prints?

Any suggestion for dilution?

Thanks.

Murray

Murray@uptowngallery · Oct 1, 2007

OK, I'll answer my own question, but would still like to hear from people who have done it instead of just reading about it.

Rodinal 1:25 described as good but expensive print developer. Source, conversation between Lloyd Erlick & Richard Knoppow.

Steve Smith · Oct 1, 2007

http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Rodinal/rodinal.html

Within twenty years of its invention Rodinal was so widely used for both film and paper that it merited its own listing in Bernard Jones’ Encyclopedia of Photography.

Steve.

steven_e007 · Oct 1, 2007

There was an article written a few years ago about Rodinal (its 100yr anniversary, maybe?) and published in Silverprint's magazine. I still have it somewhere...
<goes off to rummage>
... yep. Here it is, printed 1991. The article was written by Martin Reed, who could well be a member of APUG - ?
Anyway, it lists all sorts of tips and tricks and variations of what you can do with Rodinal. It says you can use it as a print developer and tells you how to do it, but goes on to say:

"This could be considered for emergency use only, if your standard developer has just run out, as it does not seem to have any special qualities when used this way. However, I'm willing to be proved wrong..."

He goes on to say that dish life is limited, to add 2g per litre of potassium bromide to prevent highlights fogging and add some sodium sulphite to extend the working life.

I did try it a long time ago and yes it does work, but I would agree that it isn't anything special and needs to be replenished often so isn't very economical. I felt no desire to try it again...

Ian Grant · Oct 1, 2007

J.B.Shaw's Hydroquinone-p-aminophenol (concentrated) Developer

Murray, some time ago I posted J.B.Shaw's Hydroquinone-p-aminophenol (concentrated) developer in the Formulae (articles) section. Sean is still rewriting this and asks that formula aren't posted again.

Shaw's formula is for Chloro-bromide lantern plates, and gives warm brown tones, but developers for lantern slides are equally applicable to warm toned chloro-bromide, bromo-chloride or chloride papers.

J.B.Shaw's Hydroquinone-p-aminophenol (concentrated) Developer

Part A
Hydroquinone......................... 18.3g
Sodium Sulpite (anhyd) ........... 50g
Citric Acid ............................ 6.9g
Potassium Bromide ................. 3.4g
Water to ............................. 1 litre

Part B
Sodium Hydroxide ................. 18.3g
Water to ............................ 1 litre

To use:
Part A .................................... 24 ml
Part B .................................... 24ml
Rodinal .................................. 1ml
Potassium Bromide (10% soln)...... 12ml
Water ..................................... 100ml

Develop for 2-2½ mins

The addition of 10% bromide solution on mixing is probably so that the amount can be varied to give some degree of control over the tones produced.

This is more economic with the Rodinal which is used at approx 1:160 in the working solution.

Ian

Fotohuis · Oct 1, 2007

If you want you can do it: 1+10.

But there are better and cheaper alternatives of course.....

jim appleyard · Oct 1, 2007

I once mixed up some Rodinal for film with the wrong dilution. Instead of throwing it out, I used it for paper. It worked ok, but no better than anything else, but no worse either. Sorry, I don't recall the dilution.

Murray@uptowngallery · Oct 1, 2007

Thanks all.

I said Rodinal for simplicity...it will probably be Pgainer's acetaminophen-lye-sodium ascorbate diluted with C-Borax replenisher/buffer/whatever it is.

I like the looks of PC-TEA too, and that apparently works for both neg/paper but I already have all the other stuff around the house.

Thanks all

Tom Hoskinson · Oct 1, 2007

Developing Prints in Rodinal

Murray@uptowngallery said:
Thanks all.

I said Rodinal for simplicity...it will probably be Pgainer's acetaminophen-lye-sodium ascorbate diluted with C-Borax replenisher/buffer/whatever it is.

I like the looks of PC-TEA too, and that apparently works for both neg/paper but I already have all the other stuff around the house.

Thanks all

Murray, re Developing Prints in Rodinal:

I posted this Rodinal Recipe (i.e., P-Aminophenol recipe) and others in the Apug Chemical Recipes some time ago - but that area is not up and running yet.

Rodinal Developer for Bromide and Gaslight Papers
Source: The British Journal Photographic Almanac 1914, page 854

Rodinal 6 - 9 ml
Water 300 ml
Potassium Bromide 10% Solution 1ml

3Dfan · Oct 1, 2007

I think this might be the thread to look at - (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Paddy · Oct 2, 2007

This has also been discussed on Michael Smith and Paula Chamlee's site, in the "printing" forum.

gainer · Oct 2, 2007

Rebellion, of course.

gainer · Oct 2, 2007

Let me remind you of this easy formula for Rodinal. All ingredients may be purchased from Photographer's Formulary.

Add 150 grams of Potassium Sulfite to 400 ml water and stir until it dissolves. Add 37.5 grams of p-aminophenol base. It will not dissolve. Add 20 grams of potassium hydroxide while stirring. All or most of the precipitate should dissolve. Add water to make 500 ml. Use as Rodinal.

If you use the p-aminophenol.HCl instead of the base, you will have to 50 grams of it and twice the amount of Potassium Hydroxide. You will see that the p-aminophenol.HCl dissolves, but precipitates when you begin to add
the hydroxide. It is forming Potassium Chloride and p-aminophenol base which will dissolve as you add more Potassium Hydroxide. You will wind up with some Potassium Chloride in the solution. It is a very weak restrainer, so should have no noticable effect on photographic results.
Now, if you want to make, say, 2 liters of Rodinal for prints from 1/2 liter of stock, you could simply mix it directly for the above recipe using 4 times as much water.

I suspect the working solution would last longer if a few grams of ascorbic acid were added.

marcsv · Oct 4, 2007

I dont use rodinal (since its not available in my country) but i use the acetaminophen developer (p-aminiphenol extracted from acetaminophen). The tell my they are almost similar. since its cheaper to make, I use it for both film and paper. I dilute it at 1:10 or 1:20, it acts as a warm-tone developer on generic chinese (lucky and shanghai)photo paper and Ilford MGIV and gives neutral tones on polymax. I almost exclusively use it for paper because its the only one around when i need to make prints

Generic chinese paper (scanned print)

Kodak Polymax (scanned print)

Murray@uptowngallery · Oct 4, 2007

thanks, all.

dancqu · Oct 4, 2007

Murray@uptowngallery said:
... works for both neg/paper but I already have
all the other stuff around the house. Thanks

Film developer for paper equals paper developer for film.
Well almost. As has been pointed out film developer can
run longer on sodium sulfite than may be good for a paper
developer. So, if a lower sulfite higher accutance film
developer is needed start with an appropriate paper
developer. Ansco 120/Beer's A is a good starting
point. A 1:3:3 ratio metol-sulfite-carbonate
blend of Beutler character. Dan

Rodinal for prints?

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