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| Fomatol PW paper developer. |
This
small pack of paper developer has been sitting on the shelf patiently
waiting for me to use it. I'm
told it will produce some very rich brown looking prints. I think
the time has come to try it.
The information on the packet:
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| Same size different amounts. |
The
developer is a slow working Hydroquinone that will produce warmtone
images that verge on brown when used with Fomatone papers. This
varies depending on manufacturer. You can get a bit more information
about the developer
from the Foma web site.
Mixing instruction: Dissolve big bag first in approx 750 ml of water at 20 c with continuous agitation. Then add small bag while continuing the agitation.
This
makes no sense as both bags are the same size!!?
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| Figure 1 Ilford multigrade RC paper, developed in Multigrade. |
Development:
2-3 minutes at 20 C depending
on dilution. The more dilute the developer the stronger the image
tone will be. The developing time is dependent on how many more parts
of water you add to the stock solution. I.E Stock 2-3 mins,
1+1 4 to 6 mins, 1+3 8 to 12 mins. To
keep the results
consistent the developer should not be stored for the longer term.
Capacity:
One litre of developer should
develop 2- 3 sq meters of photographic paper. This translates to
approx 210 sheets of 8 x 10. The number of pictures produced is
dependent on the types and makes of paper used e.g. resin coated and
or fibre base.
This
little pack of powders makes up a stock/working solution of a litre.
Which will mean for larger sheets of paper you may need to use two
packs or dilute 1+1, this will extend the developing time and
increase the tone of the final image.
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| Figure 2 Ilford multigrade RC paper, Developed in Fomatol PW |
The
only bit of controversy with this developer is to determine which is
the smaller of the two same size packs. If you lay the packs side by
side it is easy to see which of the packets in fuller than the other
or to be absolutely sure use a scales then there are no doubts. They
could quite easily mark them A and B.
Making
the developer up is straight forward:
Fill
a mixing jug up with 750 mls of water at 20 degrees C. while mixing
in the larger of the two packets make sure you constantly stir it.
As you mix it in it will have quite a gritty feel to it turning the
water white, this is normal. It will start to go clear as you stir
in the the smaller pack. The gritty feel to developer will start to
disappear as well. Once both the powders are mixed together add a
further 250 ml of water making it up to a litre. Keep agitating the
water until all the powder has dissolved. You should now be left with
a clear slightly tan tinted liquid. This is classed as the stock
solution and is ready to use as it is. You can if you wish dilute it
1+1 or 1+3 for greater colour.
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| Large pack of powder added first. |
I'm
going to compare Fomatone PW against a semi fresh Ilford multigrade
developer already in the slot processor. I am curious to see how much
tone, different makes and types of photographic papers would show at
stock strength. I poured the developer into a tray ready to use.
I
set the enlarger to grade 3 and the lens to F8 after exposing two
sets of test strips the base exposure was set to twenty two seconds
with a further forty seconds of burning in. I should have chosen a
more straight forward negative for this comparison.
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| Figure 3 Adox MCC FB paper developed in Fomatol PW for 5 Minutes |
The
first paper into the soup was Ilfords multigrade RC gloss into the
slot process ( Fig 1) for comparison. Figure 2 went into the tray of
Fomatone PW. Would the developer tone this paper? Resin coated papers
can be difficult to tone.
Fomatone
PW is billed as a slow working toning developer and at stock strength
it was suggested that the image would take two to three minutes to
reach full exposure. The Ilford paper was near enough spot on to the
second of three minutes and has a warmth to it. Don't forget that RC
papers tend to reach full development far quicker than it's FB
brother.
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| Figure 4 Adox MCC FB paper developed in Fomatol PW for 12 Minutes. |
So
I upped the stakes with Adox MCC FB paper this would really test how
long the image would take to appear. Figure 3 shows what happened
when I took the paper out after 5 minutes. I should point out that
MCC is not a warm tone paper and yet here it exhibits a light
chocolate brown colour.
I
changed tactics for figure 4 it is the same paper as 3. FB paper can
be manipulated far more than RC papers. So for this print I doubled
the exposure time by adjusting the aperture to 5.6. I could shorten
the developing time by pulling the paper out early. It should mean
that the blacks in the image appearing more quickly. As it turned out
it took twelve minutes for the image to be fully produced. If I had
not increased the exposure I suspect that it may have taken a further
twelve minutes to reach the same point of development. Of all the
pictures made this is my favorite as it comes closest to what I had
in mind. So far PW has demonstrated it is a very slow developer and a
test of how long I can stand still rocking the developing tray. It is
a shame that my darkroom is not big enough to allow a chair. How slow
the developer can be I'm about to find out.
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Figure 5
Fomatone MG classic matt - Chamois 542 11
Developed in Fomatol PW for 20 minutes
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Being
this is warm tone developer I am about to see how it enhances a warm
coloured paper. I chose Fomatone MG classic matt - Chamois 542-11.
The papers base colour is cream to start with so what would a warm
tone developer do.? Twenty minutes later - yes you read that right! -
it is still under developed for my taste, all though it is richly
toned. (Fig 5) Even with the red light on the colour was striking.
Figure
6 is the same paper developed in multigrade to show how much tone the
Foma PW has added. I must admit I prefer it in it's natural state.
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| Figure 6. |
Things
to note:
- When mixing the developer up it will turn the water white.
- It does not matter that the pack is out of date. In this case by four years! Powder chemicals have good keeping qualities.
- It will significantly stain the tray you use.
- It is a very slow working developer and will require patience.
- I would suggest purchasing two packs at a time.
I
like the tone that the Fomatone PW has produced and think it gives
the paper a more contemporary warmth.
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| The developer will clear when the smaller of the two packets are added. |
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| Figure 6 with 5 over laid to show tonal difference |
Since writing this article Foma has discontinued its classic matt Chamois 542-11 which is a shame. The closes paper to it is Ilfords Art 300 it is slightly more tinted look.
