I use Dektol a gallon at a time, and often go several months between darkroom sessions. Even if the brown glass bottle is full, the stuff tends to form large crystals that settle to the bottom. They are impossible to redissolve without heating. The problem seems worse during colder months when the darkroom is also colder. Any idea which component is coming out of solution? Any ideas on how to stop it, or maybe I should just do more photography to use it up faster...

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), August 21, 1999

Answers

That is hydroquinone that is precipitating out. It is not all that robustly soluble in the first place and any solid solute is less soluble in cold solution than in warmer (a lot of alliteration there :). So, dont let it get too cold or if it does, just warm it up to get it back in solution again.

-- Fritz M. Brown (brownf@idhw.state.id.us), August 23, 1999.

If you are using your print developer only once a month or so, I'd recommend that you switch to Ethol LPD(Longlasting Paper Develper). It has a very long shelf life at working dilutions. I had a batch that lasted 11 months, seven months of that time in an unheated storage building. It is a bit more expensive than dektol, but the extended life will even out the cost.

The other benefits are; 1. It will not cause skin reactions, I no longer need to wear gloves in the darkroom, 2. You can control the color of the print by use of dilution. At full strength it produces very black blacks, at least with Ilford papers.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@worldnet.att.net), August 24, 1999.

Thanks all! For whatever reason I tend to alternate between intense sessions of photo craziness and not touching a camera for months. I've considered a developer change, and will try to keep the stuff warmer.

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), August 24, 1999.