Hi Howard,
just though i'd chip in here also. Basically any technique has it's quirks and issues to get used to. There will be lots of testing and practice initially but once you get the difficulties sorted out making boards can be quick and cheap, to the point I never use prototyping board these days, I find it quicker to just make a custom pcb.
The main question to answer first is what sort of accuracy you need. My boards these days usually use down to 0.2mm (8mil) tracks which can be difficult, but achievable, with both photographic and toner transfer. If you're doing much more simple stuff I find toner transfer to be quicker and cheaper, and less prone to failure, but photographic is easier to get much finer/thinner tracks. (I usually use photographic lately).
I used to do a lot of transfer, initially with the blue stuff then moving on to photo paper. Seeing as you've already got some transfer stuff left you should give it another go. The main things you need to do to make transfer work is get the copper very very clean. Scrub with one of the green kitchen scourers (don't use it in kitchen afterwards!) to remove all the oxide and give the surface some slight texture for the toner to grab to, then clean it with turps. Turps works great because it removes any impurities and the slight fumes left afterwards helps melt the toner into the surface. wipe it down (paper towel) to the point that the surface looks dry, leaving it wet will make the toner run. whatever you do, at this point, do not touch the surface with fingers, keep to the edges. After that the main trick is getting the temperature and pressure right during the actual transfer, this takes practice. I ended up using a laminator and blowing it with a heat gun (this was with paper, which takes a little more effort to get the heat right though). I passed through laminator multiple times (trial and error). Then the for paper it's soak in water to release. With the blue film you have to be careful not to get it too hot or it'll wrinkle up. Don't try to pull the film/paper off until it's cold either.
Photo method, I just buy the pcb pre-coated, kinston brand. only problem with pre-coated is if you get a bad exposure/develop you've got useless pcb. with toner transfer or dry film a bad resist transfer means you just have to scrub the board clean and try again.
My main difficulties with photographic is getting a good dark print onto a transparency, which comes down the the quality of the printer. Then I expose with diy light box (4 x 30mm uv ccfl tubes sitting in a cardboard box, timing for me is about 90 seconds) before developing in supermarket brand caustic soda (no-name drain cleaner). This takes practice to get the strength right, too weak and it wont develop, too strong and it'll take everything off, again trial and error, but only about 20 grains to just enough water to just cover the board. Once you're used to it it's as cheap as it gets and doesn't go off like most commercial developers. Just don't get it on skin, let alone eyes.
I've you've got somewhere to keep a tank of etchant (ie shed/garage), I suggest buying one of the proper vertical tanks(with heater and bubbler) and making up a batch of cupric chloride. It basically lasts forever, actually making more etchant as you use it. http://members.optusnet.com.au/~eseychell/PCB/etching_CuCl/index.html
I've never does specific gravity tests or measured the chemistry of mine, basically just started it off with a little bit (ie about a cm in bottom of tank) of used other etchant (ammonium chloride) to get some copper ions in the fluid, then top up with acid and a hunk of copper (some wire) and set it bubbling. I don't remember how long it took but eventually it was green and worked to etch boards. when it gets brown after etching it just needs bubbling to turn it green again, if you start getting sludge settling in bottom of tank it needs to be topped up with acid. filter the sludge out first then add acid and keep using. My tank's been going for about 3 years now.
Anyway this got a lot longer than I expected, hope it helps!
Andrew