Ethol LPD dilutions and results

[Torquemada]

Im utterly confused on this, just got myself some ethol lpd liqioud concentrate to try and the dilutions and the results on the label have me utterly confused.

very light warm, warm, very dark brown to brown black.. very light to warm silver, light silver,


what is that all supposed to actually mean as i am not actually finding anything about that online.

[Larry Gebhardt]

The tone of photo papers can be controlled by the concentration of the developer. Some developer ingredients affect the tone more than others, and the paper's emulsion formulation also affects tone. Ethol is telling you generally how to adjust the image tone by diluting the developer.

The data sheet has a description that I'd copy out if the pdf wasn't locked.

I think the only way to really know how it will respond is to test it. Development time will also affect tone and contrast. So some of the warmer tones can also be achieved with shorter development times.

[Torquemada]

I cant find most of the phrases ETHOL uses on the bottle to describe how the tone comes out.. what the hell is silver tone..

[Larry Gebhardt]

To me that's slightly cool tone, but my guess is it's more of an emotional description and not something we'll all agree on. Mix in various subjects and it's almost impossible for me to describe a print's tone, but I can see the differences.

[Torquemada]

then care to share what the point of creating a dilution with "1:2 very dark brown to brown black" or 1:8 very light to warm silver

[esearing]

My experience with Ilford MG papers - You wont get brown tones if that is what you are after.
1:1 Neutral gray
1:2 Neutral in darktones but only slightly warmer in the highlights
1:4 Warm grey - may even appear greenish for very light toned images
1:6 or 1:8 Not much change from 1:4 but leave it longer in the developer - blacks do not seem to go as dark as the 1:2 or 1:1.
warmtone papers have a softer appearance but do not lean toward brown.
TF5 fixer give a colder appearance than TF4 or standard fixers.

vs Ansco 130
1:1 - Leans toward Cold tone. When fresh can even be bluish if lots of darktones present, especially on glossy papers. Bergger papers that are not warm tone go very cold.
1:2 - Neutral gray - light toned images tend toward green
USE TF5 fixer for coldest tone. No idea why.

Both can be used as a redeveloper after bleaching to sharpen and separate tones. LPD goes softer in the midtones if you pull it too soon (mushy in the middle). Subtle changes and is best used with highlight bleaching mainly.
Both have a controllable color shift with Thiourea Toners (after fixing and washing then bleaching) if you want more of a sepia or brown tone.
Nelson's Gold toner seems to work better with Ansco developed images.
Selenium turns the image toward the purples or neutralizes the green cast in some cases.