Re: The Ultimate Toner?

Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Fri, 3 Nov 1995 23:51:02 -0500 (EST)

On Fri, 3 Nov 1995, Peter Marshall wrote:
>
> A UK company named Speedibrews market what sounds like an interesting
> toner, which relies for its effect on the redevelopment of a bleached
> silver image to give different particle sizes, resulting in a
> range of different colours, from (to quote an article by it's seller)
> "an incredibly black black, through a gutsy sepia to an evocative orange
> hue."
>
> After treatment in any normal bleach the toning solution contains
> formamidine sulphinic acid. This is mixed with alkali and left for a
> while before use, its activity increasing rapidly over an hour or so.
>
> At the moment a kit usiong this for sepia toning is available. The
> exact formula is not published. It is claimed to be a better and safger
> alternative to traditional sulphide or thiourea (thiocarbamide) toners.
>
> In the UK this toner is available from Silverprint.

This sounds very much like a toner patented in the 40s by George
Wakefield & marketed as "Manotone." Used formamidine sulfinic acid with
various alkaline bleaches. For whatever reason it didn't do well on the
market, the patent lapsed, & oblivion. Now apparently resurrected, it
seems, I gather. Have you used it Peter?

Judy