Hi there

I am new to B&W Developing and Printing. At what stage should you remove the print from the developer and place it in the stop bath. Are there any rules of thumb to follow? Watching the print appear under the safelight I find it difficult to judge when it is ready to be removed.

Thanks

-- Ian MacDonald (icmty@aol.com), February 03, 1999

Answers

>> Watching the print appear under the safelight...

This is called 'development by inspection'. The rule is: don't.

Instead, you should develop to completion. This means developing until the print doesn't change any more. How long is this? It depends on the paper and developer. The manufacturer's intructions will give you a guide, but this is usually a 'mimumum', and giving an extra minute or so is often a good idea.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), February 04, 1999.

> >>> Watching the print appear under the safelight... > >This is called 'development by inspection'. The rule is: don't. >

A friend of mine refers to this method as 'baking pancakes', especially when you want to print several copies it's necessary to use a 'stopwatch' - otherwise it's very difficult to make prints of the same quality. I only make notes on the exposure time of the print, but I can imagine that taking notes of development and fixing- times can be handy too.

I once read of 'the magical point' when the prints' look stays constant for a certain time, after which the print quickly darkens. The manufacturer's intructions give a good guide, but a little longer won't hurt - if you want a warmer tone. It also depends on the age of your developer.

Good luck,

Wim

-- Wim (wim@vl-brabant.be), February 04, 1999.

Using RC paper and 1+2 diluted Dektol, I leave the print in 30 sec. after it seems to stop changing.

-- Tim Brown (brownt@ase.com), February 04, 1999.

You can use factoral development. Keep the print in the developer 5 times as long as it takes to observe the first image formation. Using this approach, the exhaustion of the developer will be compensated for. See A. Adams; "The Print"

I had an interesting experience today. IF your prints continue to keep getting darker, the longer you develop, CHECK for safelight fog. I worked in a Art council darkroom today(I'm currently without a personal darkroom). The guy told me the thomas safe light was ok for VC papers. I watched the first couple of prints, get progressively darker as I worked under this light(using oriental Seagull VC). I closed the thomas and did a safe light test. Miserable failure!!!!!! I ended up getting a small red light and using it. The VC paper is VERY sensitive to safe light illumination.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@emji.net), February 04, 1999.

When to take prints from developer

I read somewhere, probably in 1968, that optimal time in developer is 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes. I try to arrive at an f stop and burn time that gets me to that point. It may take time and effort, but some people love my B&W prints.

-- H. David Huffman (craptalk@ix.netcom.com), May 12, 1999.

Gene mentions '5 times as long as it takes to observe the first image formation.' I dare say it varies with papers and developers. For example, Iford Multigade RC in Muligrade dev starts appearing after about 10s, the instructions say develop for 60s min, and I find it needs 90s. And this is with 'safe' safelights.

I like Gene's anecdote about safelights. It illustrates a personal rule-of-thumb: 'Don't believe what they tell you, try it out for yourself.'

It also points out a difficulty with 'development by inspection'. You can't judge a print in anything less than good, strong white light. The murky safe amber safelight certainly isn't good enough.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), February 05, 1999.

As a rule leave RC papers in (Bromophen is my mix) developer, mixed to the manufacturers recommended strength for 30 secs. and FB for 1.5 to 3 minutes (I use 2 mins) at 20oC, but always keep your processing standard and repeatable, so the only variation is the exposure. No question is dumb, just keep trying.

-- Mike Callaghan (cymage@netlink.com.au), February 08, 1999.

I stand corrected. Factoral development really only works for papers without an incorporated developer (most RC papers have developers these days). Keep your prints in for at least 1 1/2 minutes. I develop for 2 minutes minimum. At times when I have a print with a LOT of black, I'll turn the print over in the developing tray and develop for an extra 2 minutes. The paper is turned over to reduce the chance of fogging from long times under the safe light.

Final judgement of the print is made after drying and under the amount of illumination that the print will be viewed under. I print often for club competitions and my club has a light box with high light levels. I took a meter reading from a grey card in the light box and set up viewing conditions in my print area to duplicate the light level. It solved the problem of my prints looking too light in the competition box.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@emji.net), February 13, 1999.

I was at B&H the other day purchasing Ilford Dev (the one that develops in 30 sec) They did not have it in gallon size. The guy told me to get the other dev by Ilford that develops in 1-1/2 min. I said I get antsy waiting that extra 30 secs and he told me I was crazy. He suggested leaving the print in the dev as long as 5 min! I do KNOW one thing that my father taught me... (as it was already suggested here) CONSISTENCY IS EVERYTHING!

-- Regina Hugo (vhugo@earthlink.net), February 16, 1999.

I really think it depends on what kind of developer you are using I use Dektol and i keep the print in the developer for 1 minute. This usually enough time eyeballing it never really works although i have done it before..... Cassy

-- Cassy (one_cute_gurl11@yahoo.com), April 21, 1999.

My experience with developing prints too long, like in Dektol, is that fiber-based papers will produce drabby prints; the crispness is disappearing when developing too long. So I stick to the prescriptions of the company and I expose the paper as long as it takes to get a perfect print with the fixed development time. My advice: don't use development time as a means to control contrast. I'd sooner vary dilutions than time.

-- Lot Wouda (lotwouda@compuserve.com), April 22, 1999.

Run a "maximum black developing test". Expose a strip of paper (1 inch or so wide by 8" or 10" long) to white light. On the back with a pencil, lightly mark off intervals of about 1 inch. Start at one end of the strip and lightly number each interval with 5" intervals starting with 20"(in other words, your strip will start at one end with 20", will proceed to 25" in the next interval, and so on to the other end. With white light still on, develop your strip starting with the longest time on the strip. Stop bath,fix the strip, and wash briefly. Squeege the water off or use a paper towel to get rid of the excess water and let the strip dry(this will take in the dry-down factor). To speed the drying, use a hair dryer or a micro wave. After it is dry examine under good light and find the sequence that is maximum black(after it, the strip does not get any blacker). Check on the back to see how many seconds it took and that is your STANDARD developing time for that paper and that developer. You would not want to develop any less because you would not be getting a true black in you print.

-- Doug Rhinehart (drhinehart@coloradomtn.edu), June 24, 1999.