At the weekly paper I work at in rural lower Michigan, we use T Max 400 and 3200, T Max developer and Kodak Polycontrast RC. Film is developed three or four reels at a time in long plastic tanks sitting in a waterbath, but no real temp control. We just wing it according to how cold or hot the room is. Usually we develop about 8 minutes at an average temp of 65 to 75. We found that T Max seems to like a bit longer time. No real grain problems.(posted 9405 days ago)Our prints are conventionally done with a Beseler 23C. The standard size is a 5 x 7 3 column or a 5 x 5 2 column with s few odd sizes from time to time.
We make sure to fix the film in FRESH fixer (Kodak Rapid Fix for both film and paper, mixed according to directions) and wash the film adequately. We still get the purple, but just live with it, and throw a higher contrast filter in the enlarger slot.
Our problems are not with the materials and the wet processing but with getting the editorial staff to make the selections so we can get them printer in time to go to pre-press and make the deadline. Since the editor is also the owner of the web house that does the printing we have to take what we can get.
We get everything from so thin you cant find an image to so thick you cant see through it. We just do what we have to to make it work. Usually we get something we can use.
Hope this helps. Feel free to e-mail for more discussion. Tony