[LargeFormat] Amidol: a better way to mix it

[Curt Miller]

An idea to share.

I take zero credit for this.  I was in my friend Shelby's darkroom last
weekend and he explained his methods for mixing amidol.  Shelby's one of the
finest printers I know and his techniques are the result of years of
methodical work...so I listened very carefully.

Most of us who use amidol have experienced flying black powder and black
smudges on our prints.  Use a small electric hand blender to mix the amidol
powder into solution and your problems are over.  I bought a Sunbeam brand
hand blender at Wal-Mart for $10 and used it today for the first time and
it's great.  Should find good use to mix lots of chemistry, in fact.
Another important procedure Shelby shared was the importance of filtering
the amidol through a basket-type coffee filter before use.

Using amidol is (almost) as easy as using Dektol now.


Curt