T Max 100 DBI

**Arthur Nichols** · 11-May-2005, 07:10

Is there anyone out there using developing T MAX 100 by inspection? I asked this in a previous thread along with another question and it seems to have gotten lost in the discussion so I thought I would start a new thread on this subject. Kodak literature states that this film should not be developed by inpection. I guess this is because of the anti halation backing. I did a search of the archives and found on post by Dan Smith. He is using a pre soak to remove this backing and seems to have success with DBI and this film. I was wondering if there are any other photographers doing this and if they could share their process. Thanks to all in advance. Arthur Nichols

**Arthur Nichols** · 11-May-2005, 07:55

Dan,
Thanks for your response. With regards to the presoak, is it in plain water and for how long? Does it remove all the anit halation backing?
Art

**j.e.simmons** · 11-May-2005, 13:01

I'm surprised to read this, because my experience (limited) was the opposite. I presoaked the TMX (8x10) for 5-minutes, developed for about 6-minutes and took a look with the green safelight. I couldn't see a thing - completely black under the light. I developed a little more, looked again - still completely black, then stopped, then fixed for 5-minutes. The image was there OK, easily printable, but there was still some red stain. I'm sure the reason I couldn't see an image under the green safelight was because of the anti-halation backing.

I wonder why Dan's anti-halation dye is removed with 2-3 minutes of presoak, and mine stays stubbornly stuck to the film through pre-soak, developer, stop and fix? Ah, the mysteries of photography.

**Jim_3565** · 11-May-2005, 21:52

It's not the anti-halation backing that's killing you. The anti-halation backing is the blue stuff which comes out in the presoak. The magenta color comes from the sensitization dye in the emulsion and that's why you can't see anything under the green safelight.

I know of no photographer who has successfully developed TMax by inspection. Reports by a very fine one whom I trust to be an expert at DBI indicate that even with night vision goggles it is impossible to tell when the highlights are right.

I'll keep developing TMY by time and temperature. I get wonderful results.

**Jan Nieuwenhuysen** · 12-May-2005, 02:37

We had a discussion on this subject on the AZO Forum about a year ago (http://www.michaelandpaula.com/mp/AzoForum/one.asp?ID=4903&PgNo=&GID=4903&CID=2).

The magenta sensitizing dye in T-Max is what makes it so hard to develop by inspection (looks almost black under green light, hence no details visible). This dye is bound so strong to the silver halide molecules that it will only come out when the molecules are broken up. In plain language: it will only come out in the fixer. (That also explains, by the way, why a badly fixed piece of T-Max film has a magenta hue).

The only possibility I did not investigate yet is to develop by inspection after desensitizing the film in pinacryptol yellow. That would allow you to inspect with a bit brighter and not green light.
I develop T-Max by time/temperature. That would still be tempting to try, now that the subject comes up again...

**Matt Miller** · 12-May-2005, 07:01

I DBI TMY under a 15w red safelight from about 5-6 feet away. It's quite bright & I can see plenty of detail with the red light. I use a plain water presoak. Don't know what it is with the red light, but it works great for me. Like others, I couldn't see much under the green light. I wait until about 75% of the time has passed to check the film & don't notice any fogging. I did accidentaly step on the footswitch one time while the film was in the presoak & fogged the top sheet, so I am very careful since then.

**Jim_3565** · 12-May-2005, 08:52

Thanks, Matt. I'll have to give this a try. I have a little 7.5 watt bulb. Now I just have to find a red globe for my handy-dandy Brownie darkroom safelight kit.