I would appreciate any information anyone has on preferences for different brands of chemicals for black and white printing. I am only new new at this and am just about to set up my own darkroom but am unsure which brand to buy.

Thanks for your help

Jenni

-- jennifer luttrell (jennifer@terrigal.net.au), December 09, 1998

Answers

The brands don't realy matter much, certainly not for the stop and fix. I currently use Kodak stop, and May and Baker fix, because that was what the shop had fairly cheap when I bought them.

For paper developer, people do have preferences, which often vary according to the paper. For Ilford Multigrade paper, I use Ilford Multigrade developer.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), December 09, 1998.

My particular preferences: Paper developer: Ektonol Type 2 (for my teastes Dektol is far too harsh for anything but specialty use); plain Kodak Glacial Acetic Acid for stop (dilute 1:3 to make a stock 25% solution); Fixer: any rapid fixer concentrate such as Kodak's (no hardener for prints!); Kodak Hypo Clearing Agent and Heico Perma Wash (depending on what I'm doing, I may use both or one or the other) Note that there are many fine paper developers and each worker has her/his favorite. I also suggest as film developers: HC-110, Rodinal, PMK Pyro. For papers: Ilford Multigrade FB IV & Warmtone. Toner: Selenium.

-- Peter Hughes (leonine@redshift.com), December 09, 1998.

what brand of black and white chemicals to use?

I have found that if a photo/camera shop has chemicals then there is usually someone there who uses them and can tell you which brands are popular in your area. One thing to check for is the expiry date on the liquid chemicals and if a bottle is covered in dust don't even bother with it(I speak from bitter experience).

-- andy laycock (agl@intergate.bc.ca), December 09, 1998.

Alan, Peter and Andy have all given good advice. The answer is there are different paper/chemistry combinations that work well, and the combination you choose will be the one that produces the results you look for. Here's what works for me printing with a cold light head. Keep in mind that your light source will affect your prints.

I'm using graded papers until I get a variable contrast head. My developer of choice if Photographer's Formulary BW-65. It gives me nice clean highlights and deep shadow detail, and works faster than most developers. I print on Ilfospeed graded papers, glossy because that is my customers they ask for. I uses the RC paper for proofing my own work. When I'm serious, I use Zone VI Brilliant cold tone graded glossy paper for landscapes and Forte Elegance warm tone graded for portraits. Everything gets toned in Kodak Rapid Selenium toner.

As soon as I get a variable contrast head I will switch to Ilford MG IV for RC prints, and test the variable contrast Zone VI and Forte papers to see how I like them.

I also use Photographer's Formulary TF-4 Archival Rapid fixer. This fixer does not require a stop bath, which reduces the amount of harmful and foul smelling chemistry in my darkroom. It is also the best fixer I have ever used.

Oh oh. While looking up some web sites to answer your question I noticed that Oriental Seagull papers are now available again in the US. If you have never used Seagull you gotta try it. It was an excellent paper. However, I could never see any difference between Seagull and Zone VI paper, so you can't go wrong either way.

-- Darron Spohn (sspohn@concentric.net), December 10, 1998.

Look at the Ilford Archival processing system. It is explained in every package of ilford paper. Archival processing in 22 minutes developer to drying screen(doesn't include time to tone). I've read the literature on the work and it seems to me, a gradute chemical engineer, to make sense.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@emji.net), December 22, 1998.

"graduate"-engineers don't spell well!!!

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@emji.net), December 22, 1998.

There's lot of good advice here, but I'll throw in my two cents. Sprint makes a stop bath which is vanilla scented, which I prefer to Kodak. They also have an indicator print wash, and pretty cheap fixer which comes in a plastic pouch inside a cardboard cube with a spigot. That cube is up on shelf above my sink, and it's quite convenient. As for Dektol being "harsh," maybe the negative is overdeveloped (?). You have to arrive at your own combination working with your equipment for the results you are seeking. Don't jump around, any combination you become familiar with can produce good results. I shoot a lot of Neopan 1600, develop in Xtol, print on Agfa RC with Dektol. Once, when a student of Minor White was marveling at his print quality, he commented "All materials absolutely ordinary."

-- Phil Stiles (pjs@worldpath.net), January 03, 1999.

I thought I read in a Kodak publication years ago that one of the purposes of an acid stop bath was to neutralize the alkalinity of the developer and bring the paper or film into the fix with an acid Ph, thereby prolonging the effectiveness of the fix. An intermediate water bath would certainly eliminate much of the alkalinity, but might not be as effective as an acid bath. OTOH, if you don't run the fixer to anywhere near its rated capacity, this may not matter much. Personally, I've always used an acid stop bath for prints because it was recommended by the manufacturers and is so cheap that it's not worth considering in the overall cost of the process.

-- Kip Babington (cbabing3@swbell.net), January 07, 1999.

Hi Jennifer All the answers I've read are pretty good. From my own experience it's probably best to start with one manufacturer (doesn't matter which of the gang of three) and use their standard products, and get to know them. Keep your processing standardised. All three have good customer service departments who will send you product information. When you've a bit more ecperience then experiment by mixing and matching.

-- Mike Callaghan (cymage@netlink.com.au), January 27, 1999.

Hi Jenni, I agree that you are getting great answers here. I concure with Mr. Callaghan the most, and would even expand on it a bit. Stick with one film, one film developer, one kind of print paper, and one paper developer, all from the same manufacturer. For example; TriX and D- 76, Dektol and Polycontrast RC. Use all Kodak's processing chemicals. Use this combo till you are sick of it, but know how it will react in any situation. Stay consistant in all of your exposing and processing. What you want to try and do is eliminate as many variables as you can so you can really see how the process works. When you can produce predictable results then try other film/developer combinations. I've been taking and making my own pictures for over 25years and I still use TriX and Rodinal as a standard combination. It works for me, and until I break it I won't fix it!

-- Steve Colardeau (scolarde@kear.tds.net), September 02, 1999.