Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 19

Thread: Who adds Benzotriazole to developer?

  1. #1
    Jon Wilson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    651

    Who adds Benzotriazole to developer?

    I recently was able to take a darkroom one on one course from a local and he told me he added Benzotriazole to his dektol to make his whites whiter on prints. Who else does this and and what percentage do you add to your developer?

    Thanks.....I have learning and want to make the best of my darkroom.

    Jon

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    SF Bay Area
    Posts
    2,706

    Re: Who adds Benzotriazole to developer?

    This will depend on the paper and developer. I sometimes use 10% solutions of either Bromide or BTZ, depending on the aforementioned variables. It is simply a matter of personal choice as to how you wish the resulting print to appear. There is no single answer. As a rule, Bromide warms a print, while BTZ cools.

    However, master printers do not necessarily adhere to conventional concepts. Somewhere on this forum is a link to the methods employed by Paul Caponigro, without doubt a master printer. For example, he mixes Selectol with Dektol to achieve a certain look, and in years past used many different paper and developer combinations. I have a print he gave me in 1960 that is still a joy to behold; it was printed on Kodak Medalist paper.

    Play around, experiment and have fun!

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Pacifica, CA
    Posts
    1,710

    Re: Who adds Benzotriazole to developer?

    Haven't done this in a long time, but still have a bag of what I think is Potassium Bromide. I used to put a pinch in the tray like I was feeding goldfish. It made a difference. Pretty powerful stuff, that's why a 10% solution is good advice.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    73

    Re: Who adds Benzotriazole to developer?

    Used this recently on some paper that showed a little fog. 10ml of 1% benzo in a litre of working strength developer did the trick for me.

  5. #5
    Jon Wilson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    651

    Re: Who adds Benzotriazole to developer?

    Thank you everyone. I will have to order some and try it out.

  6. #6
    8x10, 5x7, 4x5, et al Leigh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Maryland, USA
    Posts
    5,454

    Re: Who adds Benzotriazole to developer?

    Does benzotriazole go bad?

    I'm thinking of using some I bought from Zone VI about 30 years ago, but don't want to muck anything up.

    Thanks.

    - Leigh
    If you believe you can, or you believe you can't... you're right.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Richmond, VA
    Posts
    1,057

    Re: Who adds Benzotriazole to developer?

    Quote Originally Posted by Leigh View Post
    Does benzotriazole go bad?

    I'm thinking of using some I bought from Zone VI about 30 years ago, but don't want to muck anything up.

    Thanks.

    - Leigh
    I don't think so. I too have some zone vi from the 80s and it seems to do the trick.

  8. #8
    8x10, 5x7, 4x5, et al Leigh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Maryland, USA
    Posts
    5,454

    Re: Who adds Benzotriazole to developer?

    Thanks, John.

    I was hoping that would be the case. I don't think it oxidizes.

    - Leigh
    If you believe you can, or you believe you can't... you're right.

  9. #9
    Old School Wayne
    Join Date
    Dec 1999
    Posts
    1,255

    Re: Who adds Benzotriazole to developer?

    I put it on cereal to make the milk whiter.

  10. #10
    おせわに なります! Andrew O'Neill's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Coquitlam, BC, Canada, eh!
    Posts
    5,134

    Re: Who adds Benzotriazole to developer?

    How well does Benzotriazole mix into water?

Similar Threads

  1. TMax RS developer as "one-shot"
    By icanthackit in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 18
    Last Post: 18-Mar-2011, 10:13
  2. Old Formulas: Paper
    By Paul Fitzgerald in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 20-Oct-2006, 00:48
  3. Film holders and developer contamination
    By Philip Aragon in forum Cameras & Camera Accessories
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 8-May-2005, 07:27
  4. Old Formulas : Film
    By Paul Fitzgerald in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 19-Mar-2005, 21:31
  5. Developer shelf life
    By Neal Shields in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 22-Jul-2004, 09:43

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •