Kentmere Fineprint VC and sepia toning?

[nyx]

Hello,
I'm looking for some new standard paper. I tried Kentmere Fineprint VC and it looked good (actually VERY good)...until I tried to split tone it in sepia. Bleaching step was SLOOOOOOW compared to all other papers I had tried (in the same chemicals / dillutions).

To add some times:
Forte Fortezo - after 30s in the bleach, it was bleached to the midtones and was rapidly progressing into shadows
Agfa MCC - little bit slower, but still fast enough
Kentmere FP VC - after 5 minutes, it was starting to show some small changes in the highlights

Is it really normal and should I live with it? (or make some ultrastrong bleach)

I was using sepia toner kit from Foma. Could it be that this specific bleach doesn't work with this paper and some other would be better?

 

[Dave Miller]

This is the paper I use most of the time. I do not find it any slower or quicker than anyother paper. Bleaching takes about 1 minute to completion. I think it a good idea to try another toner first.

 

[Bob F.]

If anything, I find it faster in the bleach than MGIV.

If you try another sepia, try a thiocarbamide (Thiourea) version: the sodium sulphide types, which I believe Foma is, are smelly and according to Tim Rudman (and if any one knows, he does) the fumes fog photographic emulsions. You also get more control as you can vary the amount of activator (sodium hydroxide) to get stronger or weaker tones.

Have fun, Bob.

 

[Dave Miller]

If anything, I find it faster in the bleach than MGIV.

If you try another sepia, try a thiocarbamide (Thiourea) version: the sodium sulphide types, which I believe Foma is, are smelly and according to Tim Rudman (and if any one knows, he does) the fumes fog photographic emulsions. You also get more control as you can vary the amount of activator (sodium hydroxide) to get stronger or weaker tones.

Have fun, Bob.

Bob, the fumes only effect paper that's out of its bag and exposed to the air, and I think it would take prolonged exposure to have any effect. I would be interested to hear from anyone that has experienced problems this way.

 

[pentaxuser]

This is the paper I use most of the time. I do not find it any slower or quicker than anyother paper. Bleaching takes about 1 minute to completion. I think it a good idea to try another toner first.

Dave. This is really about Kentmere paper for toning. I believe you use RCVC most of the time and I noted that Simon Galley was honest enough to say recently in another thread that Ilford RCVC was not the best for toning(10 out of 10 for honesty) but that Ilford was working on it.

Is Kentmere very much better and if so, which of Kentmere's RCVC do you rate for toning?

Thanks

Pentaxuser

 

[Bob F.]

Bob, the fumes only effect paper that's out of its bag and exposed to the air, and I think it would take prolonged exposure to have any effect. I would be interested to hear from anyone that has experienced problems this way.

Quite likely - thinking on it, the bags are pretty tightly closed in their boxes and film is well protected either in little plastic boxes or foil bags so no problems there... Ok - forget the possibility of fogging...

Still smells like Satan's rear end after a Vindaloo supper the night before though

Cheers, Bob.

 

[Bob F.]

Dave. This is really about Kentmere paper for toning. I believe you use RCVC most of the time and I noted that Simon Galley was honest enough to say recently in another thread that Ilford RCVC was not the best for toning(10 out of 10 for honesty) but that Ilford was working on it.

Is Kentmere very much better and if so, which of Kentmere's RCVC do you rate for toning?

Thanks

Pentaxuser

I think Simon was referring to direct toners such as selenium and gold - I've never had a problem toning MGIV in redevelopment toners such as sepia (my postcards in the Gallery are on Ilford postcard stock (i.e. MGIV RC), two of them are sepia toned.

Cheers, Bob.

 

[pentaxuser]

I think Simon was referring to direct toners such as selenium and gold - I've never had a problem toning MGIV in redevelopment toners such as sepia (my postcards in the Gallery are on Ilford postcard stock (i.e. MGIV RC), two of them are sepia toned.

Cheers, Bob.

Bob. Many thanks. I hadn't realised that Simon was only referring to the likes of Selenium and Gold. May be I had seen something somewhere to the same effect and ended up adding 2+2 and making 5. It's heartening to know that while Kentmere may or may not be better and I await Dave's comments, Ilford MGIV does a fine job in sepia.

My current stock of paper is all MGIV

Pentaxuser

 

[mikeg]

I also use Kentmere Fineprint VC as my main fibre paper and have had no problems bleaching the print back before toning. It usually takes 2 to 4 minutes to bleach back completely, depending on the temperature of the solution. I use either Speedibrews or Fotospeed's bleach and thiocarbarmide toner. As Bob has mentioned Ilford's MGIV RC paper also tones very well with thiocarbarmide and one of my postcards in the postcard gallery was toned using Speedibrews sepia kit.

Mike

 

[Dave Miller]

At the risk of spoiling my hard won reputation I will admit to using both fibre, and resin coated paper in equal quantities. I both proof print, and produce exhibition prints on resin coated paper. Sale prints, and those images which I feel are better represented on fibre are printed on fibre. Most of my work is on Kentmere VC paper, but I also use graded Art paper. I use Ilford MGIV r/c and fibre as well as Ilford graded. As has been said MGIV does not like Selenium, but as it happens neither do I; so that's not a problem, as I use Gold for archival toning, usually in conjunction with one of the other toners - which could be Selenium. I find little difference in the performance of resin coated and fibre papers in toners; except for Selenium/MGVI.
I still maintain that once a print is matted and framed behind glass no one can tell on which medium it is printed; toned or not.

 

[pentaxuser]

Dave Thanks.

Pentaxuser