Re: recipe for fine-line developer?

From: Dave Soemarko <fotodave@dsoemarko.us>
Subject: Re: recipe for fine-line developer?
Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 11:21:05 -0400

> Using Kodalith with minimal, but not completely without, agitation
> is not my reasoning from ordinary continuous tone developers. It is
> a practice very commonly used. Seeley's "High Contrast," "Darkroom
> Dynamics" (or some title like that) as well as many many articles
> and photographers talk about it.

What I am saying is that developing classic lith films in Kodalith
type developer without deliberate agitation will give you more lith
effect, that is, fuzzy edges and distorted lines. As far as I could
tell, the original question was in the context of graphic arts
processing and for that application, fuzzy edges and distorted lines
are very undesirable. The original questioner mentioned Fine Line
because it gives the density and contrast he needed.

Also, the degree of lith effects depends on the film emulsion as well.
Classic lith films are chlorobromide with 10-40% bromide. Line films
are more likely to contain iodide and responds less to classic lith
developers.

--
Ryuji Suzuki
"You have to realize that junk is not the problem in and of itself.
Junk is the symptom, not the problem."
(Bob Dylan 1971; source: No Direction Home by Robert Shelton)