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Human Freindly Sepia Toner?

Ektagraphic

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Hello- I have always wanted to try to tone some of my prints but the all of the scary warning labels have kind of kept me away. I have some of the Kodak two step stuff that comes as a powder and it just seems scary.....Are there any that are more like a dye or is that a bad idea? Are these really as harmful as the labels read?

Thanks,

Patrick
 
Ektagraphic said:
...I have some of the Kodak two step stuff that comes as a powder and it just seems scary...
Click to expand...

Pfffff, use whatever you have and be reasonable. If you freak out with a sepia toner, then stay away from selenium.
 

Really, if you stay away from the smelly sulphide based toners giving of H2S, and go for the odourless thiourea versions instead, there is nothing to worry about, as long as you keep your hands out of the liquids and don't start to drink it

If you are worried about the possible "carcinogen" aspect of thiourea, than be aware that the same holds for any of the regular hydroquinon developers, that you have probably been using without giving it a second thought.

Really, just take normal measures: don't put your hands in the liquids, use print tongs instead, and wear nitril gloves if you are still overly concerned. That would reduce any risks to absolute 0...

One last aspect: you might prefer a pre-dissolved liquid version of the thiourea sepia toner. This further helps, in the sense of avoiding the need to work with the powder forms of the chemicals and possible inhalation if you tend to work messy.

Marco
 

Yes you can use dyes instead of toners it's how colour photography works., particularly Kodachrome.

Take a black & white image (or negative) bleach it in a Ferricyanide.Bromide bleach and wash well then re-expose to light, develop in a Colour developer with the colour coupler (or mixture) of your choice added to it. You then have a choice of bleaching and fixing, just fixing or something in between.

It's easier to do than write about, I used the process a lot in the late 70's and early 80's and I made up my own solutions but Tetenal produced a kit.

Ian
 
Or just try toning in strong, unsweetened tea. Yes...like Lipton, Tetley etc. I seem to recall Tim Rudman suggesting about 6 bags per liter or something along those lines. You can't get much less toxic than that! It's actually a stain, and not a toner as it doesn't generate a chemical change, but it will give some of the same warmth you are probably seeking with sepia.


Btw, I tone with thiocarbamide and selenium. I ALWAYS wear nitrile gloves you can buy in any decent drug store, and have the exhaust fan on too, so I never have felt any threat from the materials I'm using.
 

Patrick:

For comparison, take a look at the labels for household bleach and other cleaning products like those you might find under your kitchen sink.

The two part Sepia toners are quite safe if you are even normally careful. The second bath is a bit smelly, but so is most of the air freshener on the market.

Actually, Selenium toner needs more of a warning, partially because it is odourless, and therefore may be too easy to take for granted.

Just make sure you have decent ventilation (outside is best) and exercise reasonable care. Gloves are a good idea too.

Matt
 
Also, tone and redevelop does not need to go on in the darkroom.

Consider a better ventiliated spot, like the backyard picnic table or garage work bench if the sulfide smell really gets to you.

I almost always go the thoirea route for a sepia tone, and have only used the Kodak sulfide stuff once. That was last Christmas, and was from a pack that I bought over 25 years ago as a student.

My ferri bleach gets used for all sorts of things,until it starts to turn green, which is actually its least noxious form before shipping it off to HHW depot along with spent fixer, etc.
I store spent solutions in 2l soda pop bottles with the original labels ripped off, and then re-labelled with a marker on masking tape.
 

I thought I had read that selenium has a strong ammonia smell - at least until the dilution becomes very large?

pentaxuser
 
Well, when the spring comes I shall have some prints ready to tone in the great outdoors
 
I think the most productive and cheapest way to do sepia toning is to mix your own thiorea toners from scratch. You only need 4 chemicals, potassium ferricyanide and potassium bromide for the bleach, and thiocarbamide and varying amounts of sodium hydroxide for the toner. Easy as can be. PM for a formula if you need one.
 
The Least Noxious Sepia Toner?

The question mark because I've not yet tried it.
It's the hypo then vinegar method; a soak in hypo
then into the vinegar.

I've happened across only two sources describing
the method. Likely I'll soon be able to add some
detail. Possible not at all noxious. Dan
 
Just pick up a direct polysulfide toner and be done with it. It's not *that* big a deal.
 
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