Re: Question for Ryuji about Amidol

In a message dated 03/04/2004 18:34:17 GMT Standard Time, sanking@clemson.edu
writes:

> LCSheen indicates the possibility of making perfect negatives for
> Pt/Pd with two minutes of development in Amidol, presumbably using a
> continuous tone fillm.
>
> Is this possible? And I wonder if you might comment on the use of
> Amidol as a film developer?
>

Sandy

It is possible.

In fact, if you look in the manuals, you will find amidol listed as a film,.
paper and b&w tranparency developer.

I have been using amidol for more than twenty years and so have many of my
students and colleagues. Maybe I should not give away trade secrets.

I have used amidol with Agfa NP31p, Kodak Sep Neg 1 and 2, and Ilford FP4
and Dupont graphic arts films.. It works just as I have said for all of them.
They all have or had traditional grain structure which allows development beyond
1.8. You will see many platinum prints in international exhibitions developed
in amidol or PQ in this way which enables the full potential of the platinum
process to be used.

With FP4 exposed at ISO 32, the development times for different processes
are:

Silver gelatine 90s

Cyanotype (traditional) 1m 45 s

Kallitype and salt 2m

Platinum 2m 15 s (and cyanotype rex)

Carbon 2 45 s

Be sure to place the film in the developer emulsion side down and then flip
it. Agitation should be from one corner of the dish.

These times may vary slightly but they are a good basis for experiment. They
are so consistent that I have given up using neg sheets.

Of course, when platinum was at its height, iron based developers were more
often used. It is often worthwhile to consult British Journal of Photography
Almanacs from the 1870s onward.

M
Received on Sat Apr 3 13:04:54 2004