Today I’m introducing an unexpectedly successful developer. I mixed this up just kind of guessing at ratios and just wanting to see what a dilute PQ print developer could do. The actual end result is a formula somewhat reminiscent of ID-78, a warmtone print developer formula created by Ilford, but with notable differences. The end result is a developer with a surprisingly good shelf life, tray life and contrast consistency across its life span. It also is a fairly unique developer producing warmtones which are resistant to going olive colored, instead it will go toward brown tones.
Arista FB (same as Fomatone FB)
GVL1 Formula
750ml hot water
10g sodium sulfite
6g hydroquinone
25ml TEA 99% (triethanolamine, sourced from Photographer’s Formulary. Likely low freeze grade)
0.15g Dimezone-S (it is unknown if and how phenidone could be substituted) or 15ml of 1% solution such as 1% dimezone-S in alcohol or glycol
1g potassium bromide
16g sodium metaborate
Top to 1L with water
Measured pH 10.75
Usage: Use directly with no dilution. Typical development time is 1.5-3m. Keep in airtight bottle in between darkroom sessions
Recommended for: General purpose warmtone paper developer. It’s possible to over expose and under develop to give extremely warm brown tones with this developer, but only if deep black tones are not required.
Characterization: Produces warm tones. Trends more toward browns rather than greens. Produces slightly warm black tones and gives a mostly neutral response in terms of contrast across the entire range of exposure with great shadow separation.
Shelf life: Solution will yellow with age, but measured to last at least 3 months (so far) if kept in a closed bottle between sessions. Will become slightly slower and warmer in tone as it ages. UPDATE: my first batch has finally expired, it can still produce an image but not with sufficient black depth to be usable, even with extended development time. It was about 4 months old and had processed at least 50 8x10 prints. The color of the solution changed from a yellow tone to a distinctly brown color, which is likely a good indication if the solution is still safe to use.
Capacity: Unknown, greater than 50 8x10 prints per liter
Ilford MGFB (with original GVL1 that’s 3 months old)
Curve charts (aged sample is about 1.5 months old, and used to process about 40 8x10 prints)
Fomatone RC
Foma Matte FB with very aged GVL1