HARMAN technology Limited

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

ILFOSOL 3
LIQUID CONCENTRATE DEVELOPER FOR LOW VOLUME BLACK AND WHITE FILM PROCESSING
IN SPIRAL TANKS, DISHES, TRAYS AND ROTARY PROCESSORS WITHOUT REPLENISHMENT

Overview
ILFORD ILFOSOL 3 is a liquid concentrate black and white film developer formulated to exploit the full potential
of conventional black and white film emulsions in all formats. It enables professionals and amateurs to
economically develop small quantities of ILFORD and other films with ease and convenience.

ILFOSOL 3 is particularly suited to developing medium speed films such as FP4 Plus and DELTA 100
PROFESSIONAL. It gives fine grain and good sharpness with full film speed.

ILFOSOL 3 is supplied as a liquid concentrate normally diluted 1+9 for one-shot use. Dilute it immediately
before use and discard directly after development. For greater economy it can be used with many films at a
higher dilution of 1+14 with only a small trade off in image quality.

ILFOSOL 3 is not recommended when using re-use techniques or replenishment systems.

Mixing instructions
Note Photographic chemicals are not hazardous when used correctly. It is recommended that gloves, eye
protection and an apron or overall are worn when handling and mixing all chemicals. Always follow the
specific health and safety recommendations on the chemical packaging.

Photochemical material safety data sheets containing full details for the safe handling, disposal and
transportation of ILFORD chemicals are available from ILFORD agents or directly from the ILFORD web site at :-
www.ilfordphoto.com

Determine first either the tank size being used or the number of films to be processed and measure out the
appropriate quantity of concentrate. Always use the smallest measuring cylinder available; it is easier to
measure 10ml accurately in a 50ml cylinder than in a 500ml cylinder.

Add the concentrate to the mixing vessel. A large measuring jug is a good mixing vessel as it provides a
check on the total quantity of solution mixed. Rinse out the measuring cylinder used for the concentrate
into the mixing vessel. Finally add hot and cold water to make up the final volume at the desired temperature
and stir thoroughly.

As most water drawn from pressure mains is highly aerated, we advise that users draw off the water they
need and leave it to stand for a few minutes before using it to make up developers.

Thoroughly wash all utensils, measuring and mixing vessels after use. Do not contaminate developer solutions
with either stop bath or fixer solutions.

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Table of Dilutions
The following table gives a list of common spiral tank sizes - cross referenced with the amount of liquid
concentrate and water required to fill the tank.

Dilution 1+9 Dilution 1+14

Tank Size (ml) Concentrate / Water Concentrate / Water
100 10/90 7/93
150 15/135 10/140
200 20/180 13/187
250 25/225 17/233
300 30/270 20/280
350 35/315 23/237
400 40/360 27/373
450 45/405 30/420
500 50/450 33/467
600 60/540 40/560
700 70/630 47/653
800 80/720 53/747
900 90/810 60/840
1000 100/900 67/933
2000 200/1800 133/1867

1 litre = 33.81 US fluid ounces

3.8 litre = 1 US gallon
29.6 ml = 1 US fluid ounce.

Note
We advise not to use amounts of concentrate less than 10ml when mixing working strength solutions as it is
difficult to measure accurately such small quantities with a measuring cylinder. If it is necessary to measure out
very small quantities, use a graduated pipette.

pH and specific gravity

The following table gives the pH and specific gravity (SG) for a fresh solution of ILFOSOL 3 developer. These
figures were obtained under carefully controlled laboratory conditions and may differ slightly from
measurements made by users in their own working areas. Users should make their own control measurements
from their accurately mixed fresh solutions for later comparison. Ideally a pH meter should be used to measure
solution pH, but if one is not available pH measurement sticks can be used. These are available in various pH
ranges and those covering a range pH7 to pH10 are sufficient. SG can be measured by using a hydrometer
and one covering the range from 1.000 to 1.200 is useful for a wide range of photographic process solutions.

Developer Dilution pH SG at 20°C/68°F

ILFOSOL 3 1+9 9.75-9.85 1.005
ILFOSOL 3 1+14 9.75-9.85 1.002

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PROCESS SYSTEMS

Manual processing – Spiral Tanks

ILFOSOL 3 developer can be used to process films in spiral tanks using the recommended dilutions.
The recommended developing temperature is 20°C (68°F). It can be used in the temperature range of 20° -
24°C (68° - 75°C), but the recommended development times must be reduced if higher temperatures are used.
Care must be taken with the choice of dilution and temperature as very short development times with some films
may lead to uneven processing.

Before starting to process, prepare the appropriate volume of all the required solutions according to tank size
and number of films to be processed together. The solution volume must be enough to cover all the spirals used.
Check the temperature of all the processing solutions and adjust them to be +/- 1°C (2°F) of the temperature
being used.
Add the developer to the processing tank. Tap the tank firmly on the work bench to dislodge any air bubbles
which may be trapped in the processing spiral.
The following agitation is recommended for spiral tank processing with ILFORD chemicals; Invert the tank four
times during the first 10 seconds. Repeat these four inversions during the first 10 seconds of each subsequent
minute of development. At the end of each agitation sequence, tap the tank firmly on the work bench to
dislodge any air bubbles which may be trapped in the processing spiral. This method of agitation should also
be used with the fixer. Drain off the developer10 seconds before the end of the development time and then
immediately fill the tank with the next process solution.

Dish (tray) processing - Sheet film format

ILFOSOL 3 developer can be used to process sheet film in dishes(trays) at the recommended temperature of
20°C (68°F) ±1°C(2°F). Higher temperatures are not recommended as the development times may become too
short and lead to uneven processing.
Before starting to process, prepare the required volume of solutions according to dish (tray) size used and
number of films to be processed. The solution volume must be enough to cover the sheet film completely during
processing. Check the temperatures of all the process solutions and adjust them to be ±1°C(2°F) of the
temperature being used. When dish / tray processing continuous agitation is used, immerse the film completely
in the developer and gently rock the dish from side to side taking care to avoid any spillage. This method of
agitation is used for all subsequent processing steps. Continuous agitation reduces the recommended
development times by about 15%. Remove the film from the dish /tray 10 seconds before the end of the
development time and allow developer to drain from its surface before placing it in the stop bath.

Rotary tube processors

Rotary tube processors have very similar processing conditions to spiral tank processing by hand, except they
process with small amounts of solution using continuous agitation and can be pre-programmed. ILFOSOL 3
developer can be used to process films in rotary processors using recommended dilutions at 20°C (68°F).
Follow any guidance given by the processor manufacturer when adjusting process times for these types of
processors. However, generally we do not recommend using a pre-rinse as it can lead to uneven development.
Without using a pre-rinse, the given development times will need to be reduced by around 15% to compensate
for the continuous agitation.

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DEVELOPMENT TIMES
The table of development times shown below gives an appropriate starting point for ILFOSOL 3 developer when
general purpose black and white camera films are being developed in spiral tanks with intermittent agitation.
The development times are for films rated at an appropriate EI rating for each developer and they should
produce negatives of normal contrast, typically around a Gbar of 0.62. However, they are only a guide and
may need to be adjusted to suit individual processing systems, working practices and preferences.

20°C/68°F (MIN:SEC) 24°C/75°F (MIN:SEC)

ILFORD FILMS EI 1+9 1+14 1+9 1+14
DELTA 100 PROFESSIONAL 100/21 5:00 7:30 4:00 6:00
DELTA 400 PROFESSIONAL 200/24 5:30 8:00 4:30 6:00
400/27 7:00 12:00 6:00 8:30
800/30 14:00 20:30 10:30 15:30
DELTA 3200 PROFESSIONAL 400/27 6:00 11:00 5:30 7:00
800/30 7:30 13:00 7:00 8:00
1600/33 10:00 15:30 8:00 10:00
3200/36 11:00 17:00 9:00 11:00
6400/39 18:00 23:00 15:30 19:00
PAN F PLUS 50/18 - 4:30 - -
FP4 PLUS 125/22 4:15 7:30 4:00 5:00
HP5 PLUS 200/24 5:00 7:00 4:00 5:30
400/27 6:30 11:00 5:30 7:00
800/30 13:30 19:30 10:00 14:00
SFX 200 200/24 6:00 9:00 5:00 7:00
400/27 8:30 13:30 5:30 9:30
ORTHO PLUS 80/20 - - - -
(Daylight)
40/17 - - - -
(Tungsten)

KENTMERE FILMS
PAN 100 100/21 5:00 7:30 - 5:00
PAN 400 400/27 6:30 11:30 4:30 7:30
800/30 15:00 25:00 10:30 18:00

OTHER MANUFACTURERS FILMS*

Kodak 100 Tmax 80/20 5:30 9:00 4:30 7:00
Kodak 400 Tmax 200/24 5:30 7:30 4:00 5:30
400/27 6:00 10:00 5:00 7:30
800/30 8:30 14:00 6:30 10:00
Kodak 3200 Tmax 800/30 6:30 11:00 5:00 8:00
1600/33 8:00 13:00 6:00 9:00
3200/36 10:00 15:00 7:00 11:30
6400/39 13:00 18:30 10:00 15:00
Kodak 400 Tx 200/24 5:30 8:30 4:30 6:30
400/27 7:30 12:00 6:30 9:00
800/30 10:30 18:30 8:30 13:30
Fuji Acros 100 8/20 5:00 7:00 - 6:00
Agfa Pan 100 100/21 5:30 7:45 - 5:30
Agfa Pan 400 400/27 6:45 11:00 4:15 7:00
*Development times for other manufacturers films are provided as a guide only and cannot be guaranteed.
Other manufacturers may change the specifications of their films over time without telling us.

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ILFORD ILFOSOL 3 FILM DEVELOPER

Higher or lower contrast negatives may be preferred by some to suit their individual requirements - adjust the
recommended development times until the desired contrast level is obtained. ILFOSOL 3 developer can be used
in the temperature range of 20°-24°C (68° - 75°F).
For processing at other temperatures, increase the given times by 10% for each 1°C drop in temperature and
decrease the given development times by 10% for each 1°C rise in temperature.

Alternatively use the time temperature graphs below. For example, if 4 minutes at 20°C/68°F is recommended:-
the time at 23°C / 73°F will be 3 minutes and the time at 16°C / 61°F will be 6 minutes.

REUSING DEVELOPER
Working strength solutions of ILFOSOL 3 1+9 and 1+14 are described as one-shot developers. They should be
used only once and discarded. We do not recommend reusing them to process more than one film. One–shot
processing is recommended when image quality, reliability and consistency are more important than economy.

WORKING SOLUTION LIFE

ILFOSOL 3 working strength solutions should not be kept for more than 24 hours. Make up fresh developer each
time it is needed and discard it after the processing session.

STOP, FIX, WASH and RINSE

For best results it is recommended that all process solutions are kept at the same temperature or at least within
5ºC (9ºF) of the developer temperature.

Stop Bath
After development the film can be rinsed in
water but we recommend that an acid stop ILFORD ILFOSTOP
bath is used such as ILFORD ILFOSTOP (with
indicator dye). ILFOSTOP is also Dilution 1+19
recommended for all machine processing
applications. When tanks or dishes (trays) of Temperature Range 18–24ºC (64–75ºF)
process solutions are in use a stop bath
immediately stops development and reduces Time (sec) at 20ºC (68ºF) 10
carry over of excess developer into the fixer
bath. This helps to maintain the activity and Capacity (films per litre,
15x (135-36)
prolong the life of the fixer solution. unreplenished)

The process time given is the minimum required, if necessary, a longer time may be used and should not cause
any process problems provided it is not excessive.

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ILFORD ILFOSOL 3 FILM DEVELOPER

Fix
The recommended fixers are ILFORD RAPID ILFORD RAPID OR HYPAM
FIXER or ILFORD HYPAM FIXER. FIXERS
Dilution 1+4

Temperature Range 18–24ºC (64–75ºF)

Time (mins) at 20ºC (68ºF) 2-5

Capacity (films per litre,
24x (135-36)
unreplenished)
Wash
Wash the films in running water for 5–10 minutes at a temperature within 5ºC (9ºF) of the process temperature.
Or see note below for greater economy when using spiral tanks.

Note: For spiral tank use, the following method of washing is recommended. This method of washing is faster,
uses less water yet still gives negatives suitable for long term storage.
After fixing, fill the spiral tank with water at the same temperature, +/– 5ºC (9ºF), as the processing solutions
and invert it five times. Drain the water away and refill. Invert the tank ten times. Once more drain the water
away and refill. Finally, invert the tank twenty times and drain the water away.

Rinse
For a final rinse use ILFORD ILFOTOL wetting agent added to water, it helps the film to dry rapidly and evenly.
Start by using 5ml per litre of rinse water (1+200), however the amount of ILFOTOL used may need some
adjustment depending on the local water quality and drying method. Too little or too much wetting agent can
lead to uneven drying. Remove excess rinse solution from the film before drying.

Drying
To avoid drying marks, use a clean squeegee or chamois cloth to wipe the film before hanging it to dry. Dry at
30–40°C/86-104°F in a drying cabinet or at room temperature in a clean dust-free area.

STORAGE
Always store chemicals in their original containers and away from unsupervised children and pets. In cool, dry
conditions, 4–20ºC (44–68ºF) ILFOSOL 3 developer concentrate should keep in good condition for:
24 months in full tightly capped bottles.
4 months in half full tightly capped bottles.

AVAILABILITY AND CAPACITY

ILFOSOL 3 is available worldwide in 500ml (17 fl oz) bottles.
500ml at 1+9 will process 16 135/36 films.
500mls at 1+14 will process 24 135/36 films.

A wide range of technical information is available which describes and gives guidance on using ILFORD
PHOTO products. Some products in this data sheet might not be available in your country.

HARMAN technology Limited, ILFORD Way, Mobberley,

Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 7JL, England
www.ilfordphoto.com

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