At the request of one of your subscribers I am posting the formula for Citric Acid Stop Bath for those who don't like the smell of Acetic Acid. This formula has been taken from the Darkroom Cookbook byStephen G Anchell. I commend this book to anyone who wants to investigate making up some of the less common darkroom chemicals. I have found it very useful. I normally don't quote from books such as this because the author has gone to a lot of trouble in putting the book together but as this is a small formula I am sure Mr Anchell won't mind.

Kodak SB-8 Citric Acid Stop Bath

Water 24oz 750ml Citric Acid 1/2oz 15.0grams Water to make 32oz 1litre.

Use at full strength and discard after use. This is the recommended stop bath for anyone using Amidol print developers.

Right - here's a question for all you fine printers out there

Amidol - Gods own developer or pain in the ass!! Discuss

-- Adrian Twiss (avtwiss@ukonline.co.uk), July 09, 2001

Answers

I love amidol formulas, but the price has always been a problem. Fein's Amidol at 1:1 costs about $2.77 per liter of working solution and only lasts for a single session--it must be discarded at the end of the day--whereas Ansco 130 at 1:1 costs about $1.86 per liter of working solution, but I can use it for four to six printing sessions.

Fein's Amidol sometimes gives a unique print color, but most of the time I'm going to modify the print color by toning anyway, so Ansco 130 is my preferred soup--plus I don't have to mix it every time I print. I recently read that some people swear by Azo developed in Amidol--I guess I'll have to try it and see for myself.

I've never used a citric acid stop bath, but I do add citric acid to any amidol formula I use to help prevent undue oxidation. In the case of Fein's Amidol and the formula that Lootens gives, the citric acid is already included in the formula.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), July 09, 2001.

I'm with you here. I think Ansco 130 is a much better developer for Azo paper. I tried to get amidol to work better but it just didn't do what Michael and Paula said it would. So I went back to the Ansco formula and really like it. james

-- james (james_mickelson@hotmail.com), July 09, 2001.

Ansco 130 is the soup of the gods. I mix up a couple of liters every month or so and have enough for several printing sessions. I normally dillute it 1:2.

-- David Parmet (david@parmet.net), July 10, 2001.

I use Michael A. Smiths Amidol formulation and find that, in my darkroom, it works well with Azo. It also works very well with Bergger papers. With Forte I get a much colder image using Dektol. I enjoy the Amidol and have been packaging it for resale, along with Azo in 50 sheet packets. Many ask about these two and this gives me a chance to help keep Azo alive and give others the opportunity to use Amidol without spending a fortune.

One good reason some may have more trouble getting excellent results could be your negatives. I like a negative with more density to it for Amidol & Azo than I use for Variable Contrast papers and enlarging. If I am shooting the 8x10 for contacts I rate the film a bit slower than if I am shooting the same film with the 5x7 for enlarging. Same idea as exposing & developing negs differently if you are doing platinum. A good platinum negative will print well on Azo.

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), July 13, 2001.