Pt/Pd Highlight Development

**joekenney** · 20-Sep-2010, 12:06

I am making my initial Pt/Pd negatives and am wondering to what highlight value should I develop using HP5+ and Pyrocat-HD?
Should i develop the highlight to circa 1.70 or push towards 2.0?
I am uncertain of the contribution of the stain.
Thanks much.

**D. Bryant** · 20-Sep-2010, 21:21

Originally Posted by joekenney

I am making my initial Pt/Pd negatives and am wondering to what highlight value should I develop using HP5+ and Pyrocat-HD?
Should i develop the highlight to circa 1.70 or push towards 2.0?
I am uncertain of the contribution of the stain.
Thanks much.

Depends on your Pt/Pd mixture and to some extent your developer and paper. First determine the ES of the paper. Then empirically determine the development time for your film. This is the very short answer.

One assumes you have a UV transmission densitometer and are measuring step tablets made on HP5+ since you are quoting or asking about log density film values.

Don Bryant