Ferricyanide bleaching and toning - which first?

andreios · Jan 3, 2015

Hello all,

recently I've been thinking that a couple of my prints would maybe benefit from a little of local bleaching to bring out the highlights. But then I wasn't sure, since I also tone my prints (selenium, thiourea, sometimes gold) when it is best to do the selective bleaching? Before or after toning?
Also, has anyone tried to treat in this way - I mean selective bleaching - a lith print? Does it work like on normal silver prints or shall I be more careful and expect something unexpected?

Thank you

Andrej

mike c · Jan 3, 2015

Selective bleaching and overall bleaching of print is done before any toning. And after bleaching rinse print well and re fix.

tkamiya · Jan 3, 2015

Typically, you'd bleach first, then tone. BUT, if toning wasn't carried to completion, it will bleach a little, depending on depth of the toning. The result will look different, so you'd want to experiment.

If you want to simply bring out the highlight, bleach first.

andreios · Jan 3, 2015

Thanks, yes, it makes sense...

Now how about lith prints... Will it work in the same way?

Marco Buonocore · Jan 3, 2015

I find lith prints bleach relatively quickly - and a lot of the nice colour can disappear as well. Start with a very dilute bleach.

RalphLambrecht · Jan 3, 2015

andreios said:
Hello all,

recently I've been thinking that a couple of my prints would maybe benefit from a little of local bleaching to bring out the highlights. But then I wasn't sure, since I also tone my prints (selenium, thiourea, sometimes gold) when it is best to do the selective bleaching? Before or after toning?
Also, has anyone tried to treat in this way - I mean selective bleaching - a lith print? Does it work like on normal silver prints or shall I be more careful and expect something unexpected?

Thank you

Andrej

I believe there is some confusion here or is it just me?.There are two methods of toning direct and indirect.For indirect toning.T he image is bleached first and then redeveloped' in toner.For direct toning, there is no bleaching step and the print is toned directly.Anther method,limited to increasing shadow detail, is sing a light bleach after selenium toning. The idea is to stabilize darker values with the selenium toner and then lightining lighter values with the bleach.Please not that for print permanence ,bleached prints should be fixed prior tothe final wash or residual silver is subject to yellowing.

andreios · Jan 4, 2015

I didn't mean bleaching the whole thing prior to, say, thiourea toning, I meant selective bleaching to bring out the highlights.

mike c · Jan 5, 2015

That is what I thought you meant andreios, I am doing that tomorrow with a few prints that need a little help.

Ferricyanide bleaching and toning - which first?

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