silvergrain developer color

[shannonstoney]

I ordered some silvergrain paper developer. I like it a lot, but it has a strange color. The stock solution is dark yellow, and when you dilute it (9+1) it looks about the color of urine. Is this bad? With other paper developers, it usually means it's oxidized and gone bad. It was this way when I first opened it, though.

 

[pentaxuser]

Try it on a print. If it's gone bad then you are likely to see it. If dark yellow is the right colour for stock then urine for 1:9 sounds about right as well.

Sometimes the manufacturer will state the correct colour for its product. Nothing in the accompanying literature?

pentaxuser

 

[srs5694]

As I recall, mine was straw in color undiluted, and diluted very pale straw in color, when I first received it. I ordered two bottles, and the first slowly (over about 4-6 months) darkened after I'd opened it. When it became significantly darker, I noticed that activity had dropped; it still developed paper, but not as quickly as it did originally. The prints also lacked some "punch," at least subjectively. I didn't do any sensitometric tests or anything; I just ditched the last 1/3 or so of the bottle. The second bottle was still good when I opened it and I've been using it since then.

Overall, I'd say that yours may be on the tail end of its usable life, but the proof is in the prints. If you like the results, keep on using it.

 

[shannonstoney]

seems ok

I used the dark yellow silvergrain developer for a few hours today and did notice that it was somewhat slow: took 3 minutes instead of 2. So I tossed it and mixed up some Ilford multigrade. It is faster in the tray, but there is very little difference in the print quality that I can see.

 

[consumptive]

i've used the silvegrain developer - both the standard and the nuetral - for the past year and been through several bottles. always has been a deep rich yellow and lighter when diluted. the working developer tends to get darker over time and with use and development times will need to be extended. works beautiful with foma papers. and i find the working strength 1+9 has a long life if kept in a bottle.

 

[Digitaltruth]

The yellow/orange color is normal for Tektol and it has no affect on the performance. As with other developers, if the solution begins to turn a noticeable brown color, then it is probably exhausted and you should discard it.

In normal storage conditions the concentrate will last about two years in an unopened bottle, or about six months in a partially used bottle.