The D76H equivalent for papers?

[m00dawg]

Recently I decided to try my hand at mixing up my own developer when needed and decided to try D76H as my first attempt. But that got me thinking - well really D76H is more like D76-H (minus H) since it doesn't contain hydroquinone (I'm using the formulas here: https://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Developers/Formulas/formulas.html). I did this mostly for cost and simplicity over concerns about hydro being carcinogenic (though nice to know it's something I can avoid). The only print developer I could seem to find was Ansco 120 or Adams Ansco 130 (both also on the above link) but they seem to be for low contrast situations specifically. I know there are vitamin-C based print developers for purchase that are similar to XT-3 and Xtol but I couldn't find any resources to make say a "Mytol but for paper" developer.

So I thought I'd check around to see if there are any options? I'm not sure I'll be doing this right out since I have a box of Ansco-130 I plan on trying out and still have plenty of Ilford Multigrade. And likewise, buying a bag of Dektol from say Photo Warehouse is pretty economical so it might not be advantageous to mix up my own from a cost perspective. But still, I thought I'd ask to see if maybe I'm missing anything obvious.

(And yep I know I need to track down a copy of the Darkroom Cookbook)

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Well, since hydroquinone is used in skin creams I don't think you have much to worry about. In relation to lathering it on to lighten your skin, blemish or scar the contact you will get in photographic developer is going to be trivial. https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-1347/hydroquinone-topical/details

It is the metol you have to look out for as it can cause contact dermatitis. From chemeurope.com:

Because it has been in use for this purpose for over 100 years and often by amateur photographers, there is a wide body of evidence about the health problems that contact with Metol can cause. These are principally local dermatitis of the hands and fore-arms as well as some evidence of sensitization dermatitis in which subsequent exposure triggers of a chronic condition that is resistant to medication. The use of Metol in highly caustic solutions and the presence of other materials in darkrooms that have been implicated in dermatitis such as Cr(VI) salts may exacerbate some health impacts.​

The same seems to hold for PPD and Phenidone.

If you use tongs or gloves to move the paper through the developer there will be no problems. If you have water in the darkroom rinsing your hands if they get wet with developer is a good idea.

My mother (a physician) had a patient (the hospital photographer) who presented with a rash all over his left shoulder and neck. He moved the prints through the developer with his hands but his hands showed no dermatitis. My mother observed him working in the darkroom (this was a time when physicians did such things) and she noted he kept a towel over his shoulder and he used it to wipe the developer off his hands. Over the years, due to the dried developer on the towel, he developed sensitivity in the area; the resulting rash took a long time to heal. My mother made sure I was warned...

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Oh, as far as developer suggestions: plain-ole D-72/Dektol and D-76.

The great yellow father knows (knew?) best. Note that you can develop film in damned near anything (rotting fruit and sodium bicarb will work fine) so people can diddle a standard formula, get results, and pronounce it the best thing since rotten apples (er, catechol) or infested oak twigs (pyro).

I once tried mud as a developer, unfortunately it didn't work.

 

[grain elevator]

E-72 is an antiscorbutic print developer that's easy to make and works great. http://home.alphalink.com.au/~simgrant/jackspcs/pde72.htm

 

[m00dawg]

Thanks folks (I'm replying to both of ya'll at the same time - hope that's ok!)

Omitting hydro from Dektol is the first thing I looked for, but it seems that doing that tends to lower contrast? Which is sort of odd since I don't see that mentioned with D76H. If it's not a big change I could compensate for that with filters perhaps? I generally do like the look of Dektol (apart from the green tones but I tend to tone the important prints so that's not a big deal). Yeah sorry there also I was combining things together - I guess really the base question was "what are the home mixed developer options which do not use hydroquinone"

That said, that's interesting (hydroquinone being as treatment for some skim ailments). Would not have expected to see that on WebMD based on some of the mentions of its potential carcinogenic properties elsewhere. Perhaps that is for ingestion? I do indeed use tongs and/or gloves a majority of the time yep. Initially the idea of looking for hydroquinone-less developers was one of simplicity and cost. Though that said, I looked at the costs of D76 vs D76H and, apart from the initial investment of ingredients, the per-Liter cost is nearly identical. So I would guess there are low cost options there for paper developers too.

It is interesting you mentioned Pyro as I thought about giving Pyrocat-HD a try once I got my 8x10 setup going. Of note I don't intend to mix that from powders (I'd use Photographer's Formulary liquid solution) since that stuff does seem like it can be nastier than the other developers. As I recall the Pyro is also used in hair products (not that such has anything to do with health concerns or otherwise).

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

mentions of its [hydroquinone's] potential carcinogenic properties elsewhere.

With 7.7 billion people on earth you can find people who will believe anything and shout it from the rooftops*. You have to decide who to listen to and what knowledge will be echoing off your rooftop.

--
* And a large percentage of them seem to live in California...

 

[john_s]

There are the developers from Ryuji Suzuki using ascorbic acid instead of hydroquinone which he wanted to avoid because of its effect on marine life.

Incidentally, pyrogallol was used as a skin treatment too, sometimes for life-long disorders. Very long use did cause side effects. Also, if you ever consume smoked meat you are getting a little dose of pyrogallol internally.

 

[m00dawg]

I do wanna perhaps try the ascorbic acid paper developers. I really like XT-3 replenished (and previously Xtol-R) - my goodness 35mm HP5 at 1600 souped in those gives me just gorgeous results! But that also feels like different solves. On paper I'm more interested in tone, gradation, and economy more or less in that order. But I don't know a whole lot about the vitamin-c paper devs, apart from knowing they exist.

 

[subsole]

Vitamin C and 4 years shelf life : https://www.moersch-photochemie.de/content/shop/positiv/110/lang:en

 

[Zathras]

If you you want to play with Vitamin C developers, Patrick Gainer's formulas are a fun way to start. Pat was a
member of this forum until he passed away a few years back. He was also quite the experimenter and he was
working with Vitamin-C developers before practically anyone else. Here is a link to to an article he wrote for
the website Unblinking Eye, https://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/VitC/vitc.html check it out!

 

[m00dawg]

Well that took me down a bit of a rabbit hole Thanks to the both of you! I had forgotten about 4812 actually. Almost grabbed some up a while back and I perhaps should. Only thing keeping me a little apprehensive is the longer development times.