Paper Negative Developers?

[Beau Schwarz]

Hi! Based on an article in the Sept/Oct issue of View Camera, I've thought about trying D76 as a developer for paper negatives. However, in looking at a Kodak D ataguide, Dektol will develope 120 sheets of paper while D76 will develope appro x. 16 8x10 sheets of film. So the question is how many sheets of paper will a ga llon of D76 develope? How do you tell when the developer is near exhaustion? Or would it be best to use it as a one shot developer? Is there some way of 'taming ' dektol, so it gives a less contrasty neg?

[Richard Knoppow]

You might want to try something intermediate like DK-50. Remember, the contast of papers is fixed because they are developed to completion. Film is not. For pictorial purposes the image density is usually far from the maximum density the film is capable of where prints are almost always developed for maximum density. For paper negatives one can choose to partially develop to limit the contrast but it will be like film, the density will not be the maximum the paper is capable of. About the only way to determine the right contrast for the negative is to experiment. Remember that the original positive from the paper negative is made can also be reduced in contrast the same way. That is, unless you are talking about making negatives directly in the camera. If the latter then the method I first described should be of some help. Dektol may work if diluted. You can diluted it down to around 1:7 which will slow it down and make controlling contrast easier, but it is intended to be a relatively high contrast developer. DK-50 is enough less active to be more controllable. Actually any relatively high activity film developer may help. Rodinal at 1:30 makes a good print developer and can be further diluted.