andreasdegner
Hello fellow lith printers!
After a long break, I’ve finally got back into lith printing. I’m really pleased with the ADOX Fineprint Vario Classic (baryta). However, with the Easy Lith, you need to use a fairly strong solution (1+10) to ensure that the development process (with 2 stops of overexposure) doesn’t take longer than 10 minutes. I developed 24x30 prints and prepared about 1 litre of solution (40ml A + 40ml B + 800ml water). I set half of this aside for regeneration. You’d think that such a strong solution would remain reasonably stable. However, even the second print is quite different from the first: with identical exposure, the contrast in the second print is higher, and in particular the maximum density is greater. The gradation at the transition to the shadows also increases. And I had the impression that the development was starting earlier and earlier. To dampen the contrast, I added 10 ml of Lith C (sulphite) to the third print. Result: The print took almost twice as long, and the graininess (as well as the maximum black density) decreased significantly. The 10 ml was probably a little too much.
Now I come to my actual problem: Before the 4th print (from a different negative), I added the regeneration solution (see above). The result is completely unsatisfactory, see image:
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The lack of maximum density is certainly due to Lith C. But apart from that, the density structure looks like what is known as ‘chaotic infectious development’, according to Wolfgang Moersch’s data sheet (signs of this are ‘spots and patterns of irregular density in highlights and mid-tones’). The stated cause for this is: “Chaotic infectious development can occur with an exhausted developer containing a high concentration of semichinone”.
That is precisely what strikes me as odd in my case: in total, I have one litre of a rich (1+10) solution in the developing tray (plus the 10ml of C), and the capacity is barely enough for 4 sheets of 24x30?
The solution had been standing for no more than 3 hours and was pale yellow at the end of the developing session, so it was certainly not exhausted or over-oxidised.
Can anyone explain where I might be going wrong, or tell me how to regenerate more effectively to get a greater capacity out of the same amount of developer? I somehow feel like I’m wasting Lith developer, or not making the most of it. Is the paper mentioned perhaps a special case due to the fairly high silver content (according to the ADOX data sheet)?
I’d be very grateful for your tips!
Best regards
Andreas
