Paper Developers?

[ConnectingTheDots]

Do different developers yield more quality results? I know there are cold tone and warm tone.... but in general, is there a paper developer that produces better quality prints?

 

[Moto-Uno]

You may have to go a bit deeper into what you refer to as "Quality Prints"
Peter

 

[presspass]

I have a friend who prefers Ultra Black. I have been using Sprint's for a number of years, but just about any paper developer will work well once you learn how to use it. Print quality usually depends on the darkroom worker, not the developer.

 

[x-ray]

Developer influences not only tonality but color. I'm a big fan of LPD and ilford fiber warm tone.

 

[Dan]

Check out Ansco 130 or the equivalent from Photographers Formulary.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Check out Ansco 130 or the equivalent from Photographers Formulary.

This is a good one, I like it when I print on warm tone papers. There is also Ansco-103 which is a somewhat cool toned developer that I'm quite fond of. In the Ansco Formulas booklet it recommends this developer as being for contact papers. That said, I've only used it on enlarging papers, but was quite pleased with the results. I like it much more than Dektol. Here is the formula;

Hot Water ( 125ºF or 52ºC ) .................................... 750.0 ml
Metol ...................................................................... 3.5 grams
Sodium Sulfite, anhydrous ..........................................45.0 grams
Hydroquinone ...........................................................11.5 grams
Sodium Carbonate, monohydrated ............................... 78.0 grams
Potassium Bromide .................................................... 1.2 grams
Cold Water to make ....................................................1.0 liter

Dilute 1 part stock solution with 2 parts water, and use at 68ºF/20ºC for the same times as for Dektol.

 

[Jani_from_Finland]

Have very little experience yet, anyway i like mr Moersch's chemicals.

 

[Skiff]

Concerning "quality" paper developers do differ in
- tone (warm, neutral, cool)
- Dmax
- capacity (how much prints can be made with one liter)
- keeping properties (how fast do they oxidise).

Two developers which are excellent in the last three categories:
- Adox Adotol konstant
- Moersch Eco 4812.

 

[presspass]

Keep in mind there are more factors that developers. For instance, will you use mat paper, glossy, or something like Ilford's Pearl? Will you use warmtone, neutral, or coldtone? Will you tone with selenium or another toner? Sure, the paper developer matters, but there are other factors, some that have a greater effect, than developer.