Is Gray/Tan Possible on Ilford Warmtone Paper?

This thread is getting very interesting. I think I am going to have to hit the darkroom tomorrow to explore more (Hexavalent: clear your schedule!)

Doc...I really appreciate that! Thanks so much for sharing.

Jeffreyg...That totally makes sense. I often throw myself into the deep end of the pool when it comes to this stuff so starting small with this process is definitely the way to go. And I hear ya on printing for other people...that can be a tough one, for sure.

Hexavalent...That's really awesome! The bleach is a little different from the ones I typically use; and I have a 5% thiocarbamide solution and a 10% sodium hydroxide solution that I can pull from to make the toner. No probs on that. I'll be really interested to see if a partial bleach and redevelopment yields the same colour profile while relegating the colour mostly through zone IV/V and up. Thanks again you guys.

Hexavalent, isn't that bleach/toner just part of the Dupont Variable toner, where you vary the strength of the toner itself using different proportions of two different Toning solutions. I have it in my notebook from the mid-late 1970;s.

Ian

Ian Grant said:

Hexavalent, isn't that bleach/toner just part of the Dupont Variable toner, where you vary the strength of the toner itself using different proportions of Thiourea and Hydroxide.

Ian

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I think you're right, Ian. I looked it up in the Darkroom cookbook. It's the Dupont 6-T toner and it includes a few different bleaches and toners.

Michael Wesik said:

I'll be really interested to see if a partial bleach and redevelopment yields the same colour profile while relegating the colour mostly through zone IV/V and up.

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Me too! Please keep us informed of any results.

Doc W said:

Me too! Please keep us informed of any results.

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I'll do some testing this week. I've never used a bromide bleach that has more potassium bromide relative to ferricyanide so that will be an interesting experiment. I will most definitely report back!

Ian Grant said:

Hexavalent, isn't that bleach/toner just part of the Dupont Variable toner, where you vary the strength of the toner itself using different proportions of two different Toning solutions. I have it in my notebook from the mid-late 1970;s.

Ian

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It is indeed part of a DuPont system. Three different Bleaches utilizing different salts (NaCl, KBr, KI), and three different Toners utilizing thiourea and different alkalis (KOH, Na2CO3, K2CO3).

For clarity, I supplied only the formula that we used to produce the test strips shown.

Michael Wesik said:

I think you're right, Ian. I looked it up in the Darkroom cookbook. It's the Dupont 6-T toner and it includes a few different bleaches and toners.

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The formula I have is different using Thiourea, Borax and Hydroxide in the two toners, essentially it's similar though, so I'm not sure what company or where I found it all those years ago, I have used it though.

Agfa give a rang of bleaches similar to Dupont but a bit more vabiableas they include a Sulphide toner option as well, essentially with indirect Sepia toning you can mix & match.

The Iodide bleach is the coldest, Bromide is the ypical Seia (depending on the toner), the Chloride the warmest - quite significantly.

Ian