Direct polysulfide toning on warmtone paper (Moersch MT4)

[adelorenzo]

So far my experience has been with indirect sepia toning on regular papers. I bleach back only the highlights and then redevelop to get a split tone effect.

I'm going to try some Moersch MT4 polysulfide toner on Ilford warmtone paper. I understand that this type of toner can used direct (without bleaching first) or indirect on warmtone paper.

I'm trying to understand how direct sulfide toning works. Does the effect start in the highlights and progress through the midtones and shadows? Or it is more of an overall toning in all areas of the print?

 

[adelorenzo]

Hmm, well that wasn't exactly what I expected. I tried some different things tonight.

Direct toning with the Moersch MT4/Ilford Warmtone FB did not produce much of an effect. I had to really increase the strength of the toner and tone for 10-20 minutes to get a color shift and even then it wasn't much. Indirect toning this combo is not a good idea. Nothing redevelops after the bleach and otherwise it's about the same amount of time in the toner to get any effect.

I also tried some other toners like selenium and Moersch carbon toner with better results but even then I was surprised at how long my toning times were to start seeing color shifts. I was expecting this paper to be very responsive.

Will keep experimenting....

 

[LarsAC]

Indeed strange. MGWT should react quite quickly. Recently toned MGWT in homemade T-8, a polysulfide toner, and it started to shift color to a chocolate brown after 3-4 minutes.

I also use carbon toner from Moersch (just ordered another bottle) and it works excellent after bleaching.

What is the treatment of your prints before toning?

Lars

 

[TimVermont]

Are you looking for split-tone or all brown? Below is the result of Ilford WT paper given 1/2 stop overexposure, developed in cold tone developer with a few drops of Benzotriazole per liter and then toned in Kodak rapid selenium 1+4 at 30C for 3 minutes then washed and dried. Then I re-wet the print in water with sodium carbonate (otherwise get green "scum" on surface of print) and tone in Viradon (polysulfide) with constant agitation. I can't get the combination of blue-black shadows and warm mid tones without allowing the paper to dry.

 

[TheToadMen]

What does carbon toner from Moersch do? I've heard about this toner quite some times but have never seen a print toned with it.

 

[TheToadMen]

Maybe this is relevant info from Moersch?

"Das Ilford MGW reagiert auf die direkte Carbontonung langsam mit dezentem kühlen Ton. Bei indirekter Tonung (Bleichung vor Toner) nehmen die gebleichten Partien, besonders die Lichter einen intensiven Gelbton an. Soll der kühle Ton einer direkten Tonung in wärmere Nuancen überführt werden, kann nach der Tonung in stark verdünntem Bleicher nachbehandelt werden. Hierbei wird der Farbton insgesamt (sowohl in den Lichtern, als auch in den tiefen Schatten) warmbraun bis rotbraun.
Ist der Print wegen zu stark angesetztem Bleicher, oder wegen zu langer Bleichszeit zu hell geworden, kann in beliebigem Entwickler (oder Toner) zurückentwickelt werden. Nach der Bleichung (ohne Rückentwicklung) muß kurz fixiert werden."

Source: http://www.moersch-photochemie.de/content/galerie/carbon/20

And an other example from Moersch:
http://www.moersch-photochemie.de/content/galerie/carbon/24

 

[LarsAC]

The latter link describes the effect of carbon toner quite well. I also like it on MGWT:


Drive (FB version) by Lars Von Wedel, on Flickr

Lars

 

[brian steinberger]

I also like the look of MGWT in brown toner. I still have stockpiles of Agfa viradon. I direct tone for 3-7 minutes. Works best for low key images, such as posted above, and I'll sometimes selenium tone first breifly to help keep my darks dark. High key images can go "pinkish".

 

[Neal]

Dear adelorenzo,

Direct polysulfide toning (as you've found) takes a long time but you don't have to deal with bleach. Low temperatures will slow you down even more. I have found it much more effective with Foma and Slavich papers than with Ilford or (years ago) Kodak.

Good luck,

Neal Wydra