Paper developer recommendation?

[scott]

Hi, all,

I'm stepping into contact printing after years away and need some recommendations for paper developer. No idea what I used to use. I'm planning on limiting myself to grade 2 RC paper.

Thoughts?
Thanks!

[Julio1fer]

Dektol? maybe even D-76?

[melek]

You should be able to use Kodak Dektol. Make sure that you test your paper.

For example, I wasn't able to use Kentmore paper with Agfa Neutol. No image ever appeared. I then processed it in Dektol, and the image appeared as expected.

[scott]

Thanks guys.

Mike, I'm going to be playing with 4x5 contact prints, likely from digital negatives. As such I'll probably be using ilford papers (until I run out) then Arista after that. This is all experimentation for now, but I'd like to get some of the backlog of kid pics printed well and in an album. I kind of like the idea of a small contact print, we'll see where this heads.

Scott

[Brazile]

I've been playing with the same, too, Scott. Dektol is working well for me. Some folks really like Liquidol from Photographer's Formulary, because it works well and keeps better, but I haven't tried it yet.

[LarryD]

Dektol 1-1 is all I have ever used.

[GrahamS]

Just seen this so apologies for being late. For contact printing nothing beats D163 because it will hold the shadow detail without blocking up while the highlite detail is squeezed for all it's worth.