A P-Aminophenol Hydrochloride film developer for that is economical and excellent for slower speed films (ISO 32-200). Unless graininess is desired, this developer is not recommended for faster films. This developer produces medium-grain negatives with good sharpness and is a good all-around developer for various films, even T-grain films. The contrast is variable and depends upon dilution and development times. The chemicals are used to prepare a stock solution, which is diluted 1:50 or 1:100 to obtain the working solution. One liter of stock solution yields 50 to 100 liters of working solution. The shelf life of the stock solution is about 6 months. The working solution is used once and then discarded.

MIXING THE STOCK SOLUTION

SOLUTION A

Chemical	Amount	Units
Water	625	ml
P-Aminophenol Hydrochloride	50	g
Sodium metabisulfite*	150	g

*150 g Potassium metabisulfite, The Darkroom Cookbook, Second Edition, Stephen G. Anchell, p.162.

Boil the water and cool 5 minutes. Add a few crystals of metabisulfite from the total called for. Then add the p-aminophenol hydrochloride and the rest of the metabisulfite.

SOLUTION B

Chemical	Amount	Units
Potassium hydroxide	215	g
Cold water (68°F/20°C) to make	500	ml

This solution must be prepared in a sink and in a well ventilated area. Place a dry plastic mixing bowl in a sink and place the solid potassium hydroxide in the bowl. Measure out 350 ml of cold water and carefully add the water to the container. Stir the mixture with a plastic spoon until the solid has gone into solution. Stir gently and avoid splashing the solution. Add cold water to make 500 ml of solution.

When potassium hydroxide goes into solution, considerable heat is generated. If your water was not cold enough, the solution may start to steam. If this should occur, add some ice to cool the solution. DO NOT BREATH THE VAPOR. If the solution starts to steam and you cannot cool it, leave the room and let it cool off by itself. After the solid has gone into solution, let the solution sit until it reaches room temperature. Using a plastic funnel, transfer the solid potassium hydroxide solution to its plastic storage container. The transfer should be carried out in the sink. Add sufficient cold water to make 100 ml using a portion of the water to rinse out the mixing bowl. Before any of the mixing equipment leaves the sink, rinse and wash with cold water until you are positive that no residual hydroxide remains. Be sure to wash the outside of the storage container before you remove it from the sink. Should any of this solution be spilled on your skin, wash immediately with cold water followed by soap and water.

To the above solution A, slowly add about 180 ml of solution B while stirring. A precipitate will form. As the B solution is added, the precipitate will dissolve. The object is to add just enough Solution B to nearly, but not quite, dissolve the precipitate. A few traces must be left. When this is done, add cold water to make 1 liter of stock solution.

USAGE
This versatile developer can be used in varity of ways and adapted to very slow, fine grain films or with the fast ISO 400 or 500 films.

Slow Films: For low contrast subjects where you need to build contrast dilute 1:75 and develop 12 to 15 minutes. Dilute 1:100 and develop for 68°F/20°C the same time for normal contrast subjects. To soften, reduce the 68°F/20°C time in the 1:100 dilution to 8 to 12 minutes.

Fast Films: For increased contrast develop 12 to 15 minutes at 1:50. For reduced contrast develop 12 to 15 minutes at 1:100 68°F/20°C. For normal contrast develop about 12 minutes at 1:75 68°F/20°C.

NOTES
This is not a fine grain formula, although it will deliver extremely high acutance and can be either compensating or pictorial as needed. With faster films the grain will be quite course. This can be avoided by using 9% sodium sulfite solution to dilute the stock developer. The sulfite. which acts as a silver solvent at this concentration, will reduce grain size (and at the same time impair acutance, though a good balance can be struck.) A typical developing time of 11 minutes at 1:75 (sulfite) at 68°F/20°C with Tri-X is common, but it could easily be half that or higher than that, depending on individual circumstances. If your negatives are consistantly too contrasty, reduce the development time or increase the dilution of the developer. If your negatives are consistantly to soft, increase the devoloping time or reduce the dilution. Many such controls are available with this formula, and may result in negatives of exceptionally high quailty.

REFERENCE
Paraminophenolate (Rodinal Type) Film Developer, Kit No. 01-0180, Photographers’ Formulary (800-922-5255).
Photo Lab Index, Supplement No. 185, Section 8, p.341
Traditional Rodinal, The Film Developing Cookbook, Stephen G. Anchell and Bill Troop, p. 58 & 117.
Rodinal-type Developer, The Darkroom Cookbook, Second Edition, Stephen G. Anchell, p.162.

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