Page 62 - The Wellington photographic handbook

all over, and that there are no air bubbles clinging to its surface.
This preliminary wetting is intended to prevent air bubbles, which,
if occurring during development, would produce an innumerable
number of small white spots. With large sizes it is a good plan
to rub the surface gently with a tuft of cotton wool as soon as the
developer is applied, but with small prints it is better to see that
they are evenly covered with developer, and not to meddle further
with them.

When a little experience has been gained the worker will find
it better to immerse his prints direct in the developer, instead of
pouring the developer over them. The operation is not at all
difficult and as the developer is not poured to and from the measure
for each print, oxidation takes place less rapidly and the solution
can be used for a greater number of prints than would otherwise
be possible. A sufficient quantity of solution should be poured
into the dish and the print simply slid under the surface of the
liquid. While doing so the dish should be tilted, and when the
print is immersed, tilted back again so as to send a wave of solution
over the paper.

During development the dish must be rocked gently, so as
to keep the liquid moving over the surface of the print. If the
exposure has been correct, the image will make its appearance
in a few seconds, the actual time depending upon the strength of
the developer and its temperature. Over-exposure causes the
image to appear very quickly ; with under-exposure the picture
is very slow in appearing, and will lack strength. In these respects
Bromide paper resembles the ordinary plate used for making
negatives, and anyone who has developed a few negatives will have
no difficulty, when taking up Bromide printing, in recognising at
a glance under or over-exposure.

The same developer may be used for six or more prints in
succession, but it should be thrown away when it becomes slow in
action and a fresh lot taken, otherwise the tone of the prints will
not be good.
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