Solarol is a paper developer powder made specifically for solarisation — the Sabattier effect — making 1.9 litres of stock.
What it is for
Solarisation works like this: a print already in the developer is exposed to white light and allowed to finish. In an ordinary developer the result comes out dark and muddy — which is why the technique has a reputation for being temperamental. With Solarol the contrast holds, sharp light outlines appear along the tonal boundaries, and you get the surreal image the whole thing was for.
How to dilute it
The solution is replenishable — kept and reused, with development time extended as it exhausts. Keep count of the films put through it; that is the only way to avoid an underdeveloped roll at the end of its life.
The maker notes that its tray life is no shorter than an ordinary paper developer's — so you can experiment at length rather than race the clock.
Storage
Sealed powder keeps for years; mixed solution keeps far less well, so mix what you will use. Dissolve at the stated temperature and in the stated order — getting the order of components wrong ruins a developer more reliably than any timing mistake.
How it compares
A product for one specific technique, and an ordinary developer cannot really stand in for it — that is the whole point. If solarisation does not interest you, this is not for you.
