From: Sandy King (sanking@clemson.edu)
Date: 01/25/02-08:49:43 AM Z
Yesterday Dick Sullivan provided a simple gold toning formula for
vandyke, with the note that it could also be used with the
substitution of the gold by platinum solution #3.
I have used both the gold and platinum versions of this toner with
vandyke and they both work well. I use both after washing the exposed
print, but before fixing. One of the real advantages to toning before
fixing is that there is very little if any further bleaching of the
image in the subsequent wet processing.
One note of economy is in order given the considerable cost of these
solutions. Unless you just love the look of brush-marks, or simply
feel compelled to provide greater economic support to Dick and B&S,
*mask* the sensitized areas around the image when exposing. These
dark exposed areas will really eat up the toner and greatly reduce
its capacity.
Sandy King
>> > >
>>> > [clip] ... Vandykes may also be toned using
>>> > selenium (e.g. from Kodak) 1:100. This is much cheaper but somewhat
>>> > difficult to control -- and most people (including myself) like the
>>> > tonal range of gold toning better.
>>>
>>> My understanding is that an attempt to tone with selenium will
>>>merely bleach
>>> the print. Can you describe your results?
>>
>>Kodak rapid selenium has fixer in it, but might be OK used AFTER fixing a
>>VDB. But if you make your own selenium toner it doesn't have fixer &
>>shouldn't bleach
>
>
>True, Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner does contain fixer. But a dilution
>of 1:100 is a homeopathic dosis and probably (?) has much less
>bleaching power than the final hypo bath. True too, however, that
>selenium even at 1:100 will bleach the print if bathed too long (1 or
>2 minutes was the maximum time for me, if I recall correctly). (This
>is to say, Judy, that I doubt that home-made selenium toner without
>hypo would not bleach the print -- I doubt but don't know.)
>
>Keith Gerling wrote:
>"I usually tone for about 30 seconds and fix for another 30 seconds"
>
>Of course, times always depend on the strength of the solution. In
>my experience VDBs need both a good first wash (at least 5 min) and a
>good fix. I fix 5 min in hypo 5%. At the beginning I yielded to the
>temptation to fix for less than 5 minutes and I regretted that very
>much when I looked at the prints a couple of months later.
>
>As to image colour, I noticed that VDBs come in a wide range of
>colours. One factor that seems to influence colour more than
>anything else is the humidity of the paper. Apart from this selenium
>does shift colour towards cooler shades of brown.
>
>To sum up my experience with VDB: it is an easy and versatile
>process, particularly good for beginners in ALT photography, capable
>of yielding results such that you may not want to look any further.
>But make sure that you wash & fix & wash carefully!
>
>André
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