Developing time for fiber papers

[lungovw]

I've been fighting against fog problems for quite a while. Tried fixing all the usual sources for that problem like enlarger light leaks, safe light not so safe, etc.
I only use fiber papers like Agfa MCC 111 Fb Glossy and my developer has been Agfa Neutol WA 1/10 parts of water.
Today I realized that I could not get pure whites just because I was overexposing my prints, aiming to reach pure blacks in 2 minutes of development. When the blacks arrived the whites were gone. Only excessively contrasted negs could yield a decent result. I started developing in 3 minutes, with less exposure and now prints show the right tonal range.
My question now is: how long do you guys use to develop your prints? As 3 minutes looks quite long for me, is there a developer that would bring the tonal range in a shorter time? Long time ago I used Dektol and remember developing for only 1 and a half minutes. Any input on this matter will be very welcomed.

Wagner

[Bobf]

3 minutes is quite quick for Neutol WA. The general factor seems to be that warmtone developers take longer to reach Dmax. With MGIV-FB I use 3 mins, in MGIV-FB Warmtone I use 4 minutes, ditto with Kentmere fibre papers.

Ilford PQ-Universal knocks a 30-60s off those times but of course the print tone is different, especially with the warmer papers as you'd expect. As most papers develop (more or less) to completion, a little longer in the developer is unlikely to be a problem.

Bob.

[PViapiano]

What's the age of your Agfa paper? At least a few years, right? I'm not sure when it was discontinued...

I have some Agfa MC 111 and 118, and both exhibit fog. The 118 can be handled with benzo in the developing solution, but also needs a ferri bleach to clear the fog. After that, they look great...a lot of extra steps to use this older paper but well worth it!

[neil poulsen]

What's the age of your Agfa paper? At least a few years, right? I'm not sure when it was discontinued...

I have some Agfa MC 111 and 118, and both exhibit fog. The 118 can be handled with benzo in the developing solution, but also needs a ferri bleach to clear the fog. After that, they look great...a lot of extra steps to use this older paper but well worth it!

Interesting. What is "benzo"? Also, what dilution and what length of time do you leave the prints in the bleach? Is this a Potassium Ferrocyanide bleaching solution?

Ansel Adams wrote about a method for "clearing the whites." I wonder if this would also work? I think he wrote about this in his book, The Print.

[Chuck Pere]

I use Agfa MCC 111 and Neutol WA 1/10 for 2 min and don't see any problems. If your blacks are Ok and your whites are off have you just tried to increase contrast? Sounds like your negative contrast doesn't fit the paper contrast you are trying to use.

[Peter De Smidt]

Try developing from between 4 to 6 times the emergence time, that being the time when you first start to see an image. I found that changing my development time from 2 minutes to 4 minutes gave me a grade more of contrast.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I develop in Decktol diluted to 1+4! and develop until I do not see any more gain in highlight density, which is usually 4-5 min.s. This ensures that each print will be the same development, ie to completion. I get much finer detail in my highlights this way, and rich tonality in the low tones; no muddy looking blacks because the print was pulled before they did not develop fully.

You don't need to have a true black in the print, only the appearance of a true black!

Mike

[PViapiano]

Benzo is benzotriazole, a chemical restrainer found at chem supply houses for photogs like the Formulary. Make a 10% solution and use 15-50ml per liter of developer and many fogged papers can be rescued. Tone of the photo can be on the cool side...

Ferri is indeed potassium ferricyanide, also found at the Formulary. I use about a teaspoon per liter of water. You can dilute it more when you see what it does. Some use it to lift the whites of a print, a dip of the whole print or brush it on locally where needed, rinse with water and then into fixer, which stops the bleaching but not before it lifts the whites. There's an art to it, and you need to experiment with reject prints. Different papers react differently, so keep that in mind as well.

But with the right print, bleaching to lift the whites and selenium to darken the low tones, and wow...it makes a difference.

[Ash]

I tray develop. If I'm printing with FB paper, I leave it in the developer for a fair while. Even cheap Suprol 1+9 or so can mean it takes at least 4-5 minutes. I'll leave the print in for as long as possible before putting it into the stop and fix.


Everything takes longer with FB, that's why in my impatience I use RC for general purpose, and only FB if the print is of importance.

[Bill_1856]

Are you sure that your safelight is really safe?

[Ash]

By the by,

The two locations for my printing are:

1. College darkroom. The safelights are red tubes inside strip-lights on a fairly high ceiling (high enough for a DeVere 504 at max extension) and they are fairly dim, but very workable.

2. Home/shed darkroom. The safelight is either orangey-brown (old Ilford glass filtered) or red (modern Jessops plastic type) and I have it facing the wall on the farthest point, to give as little light to the room as possible.