What home made paper dev do you like?

aconbere

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I tend to have cycles of making negatives and then printing so keeping paper dev fresh is a challenge. I’d love something I could mix up in the morning from dry ingredients (or concentrate).

I see D-72 and Ansco 130 mentioned with some frequency. With ansco 130 I’m a little nervous about the availability of glycin and the way it seems to age. D-72 seems fine but I don’t have Hydroquinone on hand.

E-72 seems interesting since I make PC film developers already.

Any recommendations on where to start?
 

revdoc

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E-72, 1+3. I make it up from scratch every time. Spoon measures are good enough.

200ml water
ascorbic acid 1/4 tsp
sodium sulfite 1/4 tsp
sodium carbonate monohydrate 1 tsp
phenidone 4% 0.5 ml (measured with a syringe)
potassium bromide 5% 1/2 tsp
add water to 250ml

Dev time is 2 minutes.
 

koraks

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ID68 warm-tone, ID62 universal. Mostly use the latter now. I replenish it from the DIY-mixed concentrate.
Get some hydroquinone; it makes life easier.
 

Alex Benjamin

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koraks said:
Get some hydroquinone; it makes life easier.
Click to expand...

I agree. No hydroquinone limits your choices. D-72, Ansco 130, ID-62, D-166, ID-78, they all have it.

If you can't get it, you can try Ansco 120. It's a very simple developer to make. Note that it's low contrast. Use 1+1.

 

thinkbrown

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Similar to @koraks I've been primarily mixing id78 (assuming that's what he meant since id68 is closer to microphen) and it's good stuff.
 

retina_restoration

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ID-78 Ilford Warm Tone Developer

Phenidone 0.5 g
Sodium Sulphite (anh) 50 g
Hydroquinone 12 g
Sodium Carbonate (anh) 62 g
Potassium Bromide 4.5 g
Water to 1 litre
To use: Dilute 1+ 3 for warmest tones. Can be used at 1+1 for higher contrast.
 

thinkbrown

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koraks said:
You're right, I make a habit out of consistently mistyping it...
Click to expand...

On more than one occasion I've gone and stared at all the bottles on the shelf with the formula codes written on them and have completely forgotten which was which hahaha
 

RalphLambrecht

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D72 is your best bet. Get some hydroquinone. YOU DON'T NEED MUCH OF THAT, AND IT WILL LAST QUITE SOME TIME.
 

ags2mikon

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I use D-72 most of the time and A-130 with fiber base and some times A-120. Hydroquinone is your friend.
 

chuckroast

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If you make D-72, you effectively have Dektol, which is a fine paper dev. You can also add stuff to the D-72 stock to turn it into what is effectively Ansco 130. See:

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/ansco-130-from-dektol-dektol-130.215520/

I came with up with this because I have a bunch of Dektol packets here and wanted a way to use them up as I switched over to 130.

The glycin situation seems to boil down to: Buy it from Photographer's Formulary and store it in the freezer. The general wisdom is that it seems to last a very long time that way.
 

Michael Heller

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I mix 54-D and use it on Ilford MGFB. It needs Hydro-Q, but I have what I need. I've been using this stuff since the old gallery paper was new! Mostly I use it 1 part to 2 parts water. 400ml + 2 is enough to use an 11x14 trays. I mix 1/2 gallon at a time. I date ALL my bottles. Develops in 1:40 to 2 minutes but can go 3. Stock solution goes 2-3 months but I use it before that.
 
OP
OP

aconbere

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Okay okay okay jeeze bunch of chemicals including hydroquinone are on their way. Stop yelling at me!
 

ags2mikon

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Once you have a good stock of chemicals you can make a lot of different developers for paper and film.
 

PicklesFrog

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Agfa 108!

For 1 liter:
Metol 5.0 grams
Sodium Sulfite, 40.0 grams
Hydroquinone 6.0 grams
Sodium Carbonate 40.0 grams
Potassium Bromide 2.0 grams

No dilution, pretty milky blacks, which i love in certain prints, so i always keep a stock in case i need that oompf!
 
  • Dennis S
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  • Reason: wrong post
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