Do I need toning or warm/cold tone paper developers?

[Tim Gray]

I'd like to get a tiny bit more color in my images. Something like these examples:
http://www.butzi.net/articles/toning.htm

Specifically I like the warm midtones, neutral highlights. I am *not* looking for the 'rustica' toning. I usually just print with Ilford MGIV RC paper and Multigrade developer. I'm not quite sure if I need to resort to full-on toning, but if I do, I'm not sure what toning combinations I should be using. On the other hand, if cold/warm tone paper and/or developer will help me out, that would be great.

Obviously some of the toning emulated on that site is the result of selenium or selenium + gold split toning. I might go there one day, but not right now.

I'd like to stick to RC paper if possible.

 

[Jon Shiu]

Hi, you might want to try light sepia toning. Dilute the bleach to half strength and experiment bleaching for a very short amount of time, ie 30-40 seconds.

Jon

 

[fschifano]

For starters you might want to try changing the developer. A warm tone developer might just be the thing, since it should have a very subtle effect. As an alternative to a purpose made warm tone developer, some plain vanilla MQ developers using potassium bromide as a restrainer like Dektol can be made to behave like a warm tone developer. Add some extra water, 1+4 instead of the usual 1+2, run a few prints through, bottle it up and use it again the next day or two later. Activity is lower, and paper speed is somewhat diminished as you'd expect. I've tried this trick with Bromophen, a PQ developer with benzotriazole as the restrainer, and it doesn't work. I'm not sure if it's because Bromophen uses phenidone instead of metol and/or bezotriazole instead of potassium bromide.
Ilford's multigrade developer uses dimezone-s and hydroquinone as developing agents with potassium bromide as the restrainer. It might work.

 

[Trevor Crone]

Changing not only the developer, but developer dilution and/or development time can have subtle effects on the print colour.

The only sure way is to experiment yourself to see if the effect is what you are looking for.

Personally I rarely tone prints these days but choose a paper/developer combination that gives me the subtle effect I'm after.

 

[Tim Gray]

Hmm, thanks for the thoughts.

I know there is no substitute for experimenting, but how subtle or not are warm/cold tone papers and developers? I guess I should just buy boxes of both and work through all the combinations...

 

[jmal]

Ilford WT RC paper is definitely warmer than MGIV, but not overly colorful when processed straight. It has a sublte cream base and ever so slightly warmer shadows. I have also noticed that using a more dilute developer has increased the warmth of my prints. Whether this is enough for your tastes is hard to say. I'm about to devle into sepia toning myself, so I'll see how I like that on both MGIV and MGWT.

Jmal

 

[Trevor Crone]

Tim,

Foma produce some really nice papers that respond well to different developers. All very encouraging in this dirty 'D' age that we still have a good selection of gelatine silver papers to choose from.

Trevor.

 

[fschifano]

I can attest to that particular quality of the Foma papers. I use them, rebadged as Freestyle's house brand, and have quite a bit of experience with the RC, VC material. They do respond quite nicely to selenium toners and to developer dilution. I don't particularly like the stuff in Kodak's Sepia Toner, but then I don't like too much in that toner. The two exceptions are my dwindling supplies of Agfa papers, Adorama's house brand of warmtone paper, and these only in matte or semi matte surfaces.

 

[ann]

in a paper/developing experimental class i had a student use Ilford's cooltone paper in Super Platium developer at a 1:15 ratio and the prints were a very nice light tan shade. A very big surprise to say the lest.

 

[pentaxuser]

I have been using Ilfor WT RC paper in Ilford WT developer recently and the Butzi warmtone midtones, neutral highlights is maybe close to my prints but not really all the way there. Certainly none of the viewers of my prints have remarked on the "new warmth" compared to my former prints on MGIV RC and Nova developer which seems close to Ilford MG developer.

What is different, albeit still fairly subtly when no side by side comparison is possible is Ilford Cooltone paper with Cooltone developer and WT paper and WT developer. These are the opposite ends of the spectrum of course and it's indicative how far you have to go to get what most people think of a warmth.

For the warmth you may be looking for, I suspect that even Ilford WT in WT developer won't quite get you there.

pentaxuser

 

[Tim Gray]

What usually has more of an effect, warm/cold tone paper, or developer?

I think I'll just order a small pack of each type of paper. And maybe a sepia kit.

 

[jeroldharter]

In regard to paper, try Zone VI Brilliant. I find it to be slightly chocolate in the Zone VI developer. Selenium toner then cools it down if you want. The paper only comes in 8x10 and 11x14 now.

 

[fschifano]

The paper itself imparts the overriding characteristics to the image. Developer choice and after baths serve to enhance or de-emphasize these qualities.