UP-2 Universal Developer — reagent kit for 1 litre

Description

UP-2 is an energetic metol-hydroquinone developer of the Soviet school, for film, photographic paper and technical materials. A kit of dry reagents from which you mix exactly one litre of working solution.

History

The UP family of metol developers traces back to the ORWO-1 (108) formula — UP-2 is the Soviet modification of a time-proven recipe from the East German firm ORWO. The name is plain enough: «universal developer», because it handles the widest range of photographic papers as confidently as it handles film. It began as a purely technical developer, used on aerial film, microfilm and X-ray materials. UP-2 later settled in as the standard, sensitometric developer: control samples were processed in it so different films could be compared on equal terms.

Character

Energetic and contrasty. Against fine-grain formulas it holds about ten times less sulphite and five to six times more soda: hence the fast action, the high maximum densities and the pronounced contrast. It does not cut the material’s true film speed, and it renders midtones better than you would expect from a developer of this class. The price of that energy is grain coarser than D-76.

What is in the kit

Five sachets of reagents for one litre: metol — 5 g, hydroquinone — 6 g, anhydrous sodium sulphite — 40 g, anhydrous sodium carbonate — 31 g, potassium bromide — 4 g.

How to mix it

Pour 700–750 ml of water heated to 30–50 °C into a one-litre vessel and dissolve the reagents strictly in order: metol, then sodium sulphite, then hydroquinone, then the soda and the potassium bromide last. The order matters — metol dissolves noticeably worse once the sulphite is in, and the soda must follow the developing agents. Cool the solution to 20 °C, top up to the one-litre mark and stir.

Use and storage

Develop film for 2–5 minutes (low-speed materials) or 5–10 minutes (high-speed) at 20 °C. Paper takes 1–2 minutes undiluted; for a softer result dilute 1:1 with water and develop for 1–4 minutes. One litre covers roughly 8 rolls of 135/36 film or 2 m² of paper. This is an energetic developer — start at the lower end of the time range and adjust from the result.

The dry mix keeps for two to three months in a sealed pack, often longer. Freshly mixed solution in a tightly closed bottle lasts about a month. Do not leave the mixed solution out in winter frost — UP-2 is among the formulas most likely to crystallise in the cold.

The full formula, the UP-2M variant with EDTA, the pros and cons and a glossary of terms are in our recipe handbook, on the UP-2 Universal Developer page.