Brown toners?

I'd like to start experimenting with brown toners but I'm a little unsure which one to get?

Up until now I have mainly used Ilford MGIV RC but I'm going to start using Ilford WT RC as I also want to use Selenium toner on my prints.

I was looking at Agfa Viradon but all the info I have read suggests it doesnt tone well with RC papers so I looked at Barry Thorntons Selenium Sulphide brown toner, can anyone comment on how this toner works with RC papers?
Is there any other brown toners in the market that I have overlooked?

One other thing, I read a thread a while ago where everyone recommended a book on toning but I cant for the life of me remember what the book was called?! Any ideas??

Thanks
Mike

there is Kodak Brown toner, and the book may be (if not it should be) tim rudman's book "The Toning Book"

If you go to jackpcs.com/toner.htm you will find listed formulae for making a large number of toners. For brown tones there are very few toners any easier to make or less expensive than thiorea toner. This stuff is really very inexpensive. Also required is a bleach which is not expensive at all. It is very easy to work with this toner.

I started with the original Kodak Sepia toner with both of these papers. I find that if you pick one print, then print it on all of your papers multiple times, exactly the same way, you can then use these as a comparison for the various toner and paper combinations that you have tried. I have a stack of the same print, printed on all the different papers I use and toned with the various toners that I have tried and whenever I want to tone something I can pull that stack out, check to see the effects, and then make a decision based on that for the new print.

Tim Rudman's book is invaluable for toning, but in the mean time as a rough and simple starting guide; sepia toners tend to be lighter in effect than brown toners, and you can expect a stronger response with warm tone papers than neutral or cold tone papers. Toners may be heated for greater effect, and prints may be toned repeatedly, although the response will get stronger faster on subsequent toning. Wash well between bleach and redeveloper if you use a two bath toner, and you can place the print in the redeveloper first, wash very well, then bleach, wash again, then tone to get a mild sepia effect with the two bath sepia toner.

Toning is something that you could spend years working with. Start out simply, take notes, keep examples, and try different paper and toner combinations. And, most importantly, have fun with it!

- Randy

If you go to jackpcs.com/toner.htm
That link doesn't work for me.

I'd go with the two-stage theourea based sepia toners as Claire suggests. They are ideal as they are odourless, easy to use, adaptable and inexpensive.

Simple changes such as pulling the paper out of the bleach bath when only the highlights have bleached out instead of waiting for the whole print to bleach adds variation to the process.

Viradon gives a more subtle tone which you may prefer (but it is far from odourless).

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

I've been looking into making my own thiorea and although it isnt cheap to buy the raw chemicals initially I've decided to give it a shot anyway.

I'm also in the process of trying to track down a copy of Tim Rudmans book.

Thanks again
Mike

The thiorea costs a bit. For the sodium carbonate you can buy washing soda in the laundry additives at the super market. The toner is remarkably inexpensive. For the thiorea check with techcheminc.com...for those of you in the USA. You are only using 1 gram of thiorea per liter so a little goes a very long way.