Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Mon, 12 Jul 1999 02:04:34 -0400 (EDT)
On Sun, 11 Jul 1999, Joao Ribeiro wrote:
> Hi Judy,
>
> I tried SS toner this weekend.
> Very interesting.
> A question:
> When toning unfixed pictures, should it be done under safe light?
> I bleaxhed (CB6) and used ss2 with ilford mgiv rc and got a nice plating
Joao -- I'm so tickled that you did the SS -- where did you get the
chemicals in Brazil?? (Make them yourself in a shed out back?)
I am confused though that you say "toning unfixed pictures" and then using
a bleach.... Have you discovered something new? I used the SS in two
ways... The first method is toning an unfixed print, that's after
developing & before fixing, and that would be have to be done by
safelight. If you put the unfixed, unstopped print in the light, it would
go dark.
But since you have the silver halide from the whites of the print, I don't
know what you would *bleach.* In fact, as I visualize the operation, if
you bleached before fixing you'd have a whole sheet of silver halide and
the whole thing would go silver, no picture.
The other method -- the one I used almost always -- was to take a
finished, fixed, black & white print, and bleach the black (silver) back
to silver halide with the CB-6 (or whatever), then plate that to silver
with the SS toner.
Since that is already a fixed print, no need to work by safelight. I
suppose if you put it under an EXTREMELY strong light before putting in
the toner, you might darken the silver halide a bit before the actual
plating, but that would have to be like 6 suns -- let's say I've never
seen it happen.
> but just after 3 bleach/tone cycles, and a lot of mottling, but I didn't
> use the cradle.
The mottling is generally from pouring the toner onto the image surface,
and/or having the print back touching the tray bottom -- or that's been my
experience. If mottling persists, try adding dilute old Dektol to the
toner (maybe 1/3) that seems to help ease the plating. And you also want
to agitate vigorously when the toner first hits it. (It's hard to
remember to describe each little twist of something you do on auto pilot.
Did I say that?)
> I printed and toned step wedges only and got nice
> metallic gratify only in the deepest blacks, also I think it is best
> done with very dark prints.
My prints were very contrasty -- on Brovira #5-6, and always had lots of
pure black, if anything they did too much plating out. But prints that
stress nice long scale dwelling on middle greys, probably wouldn't do well
with this toner (though no doubt different with different papers).
Starting with the step tablet is a good idea -- I would assume you'd get
plating from the darkest steps no matter what. If too much of the print is
dark too much will plate out -- and since the copper bleach intensifies,
you could really lose definition. With the bleach & redevelop style, I'd
look for just the dark shadows to plate... the highlights (depending on
all the other variables) often turn a warm brown-black.
> Did you get silver mirror effect?
> I am anxious to try more>
Yes, was never a problem unless I did something really dumb.... like
overuse the toner.
good luck, keep us posted --- and mmmmmmmm mmmmmmmm !
Judy
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