Kodak Polytoner and alternative sepia/sulfide toners

skahde · Aug 19, 2025

Rudeofus said:
There may be a substantial difference, whether you use this substitute directly or indirectly. Used directly the Ammonium Thiosulfate probably doesn't hurt at all, whereas it could make indirect toning a gamble.

As I always used it directly, that was never a question to me. But if you want to work indirectly, you can just split the steps and never join the components for sulfur and selenium in the first place which also adds some more freedom which to some may cause insecurity whereas others just squeeze it until it's lemonade.

Raghu Kuvempunagar · Sep 17, 2025

Raghu Kuvempunagar said:
I'll try to remember to ping you after a month to check the condition of the last toner.

@koraks: did you get a chance to check?

koraks said:
Here's the three bottles I prepared together with the bit of remaining sulfur I 'harvested' from broken fixer:
View attachment 405493
The sulfur/hydroxide preparation is the darkest, but it's also the most concentrated.

koraks · Sep 17, 2025

Raghu Kuvempunagar said:
@koraks: did you get a chance to check?

Not very diligently, but I did dunk one or two small lith test prints into this toner. It seemed to work just fine!

Raghu Kuvempunagar · Sep 17, 2025

koraks said:
Not very diligently, but I did dunk one or two small lith test prints into this toner. It seemed to work just fine!

koraks said:
Maybe a little more detail: I tried the preparation made from sodium sulfite and plain sulfur, as well as the sulfer + sodium hydroxide preparation. Both in fairly random dilutions of something like 1+50 or so, as a direct toner, on small lith prints. The lith prints were on Fomatone and pink-ish to begin with. Toning was very swift; I totally overshot the mark with the first one within a minute, turning the pink into a dull brown. The other print I treated more carefully (I think the toner was more dilute as well; I was winging it really) and shifted more subtly. The smell was typical rotten egg and quite powerful at that.

That's indeed very encouraging! Thanks.

koraks · Sep 17, 2025

Maybe a little more detail: I tried the preparation made from sodium sulfite and plain sulfur, as well as the sulfer + sodium hydroxide preparation. Both in fairly random dilutions of something like 1+50 or so, as a direct toner, on small lith prints. The lith prints were on Fomatone and pink-ish to begin with. Toning was very swift; I totally overshot the mark with the first one within a minute, turning the pink into a dull brown. The other print I treated more carefully (I think the toner was more dilute as well; I was winging it really) and shifted more subtly. The smell was typical rotten egg and quite powerful at that.

koraks · Sep 21, 2025

I can see how that might work. It's pretty certain to expel any life from the darkroom as well. Well, any wife, at least.

Raghu Kuvempunagar · Sep 21, 2025

koraks said:
I can see how that might work. It's pretty certain to expel any life from the darkroom as well. Well, any wife, at least.

Guillaume Zuili · Sep 21, 2025

koraks said:
I can see how that might work. It's pretty certain to expel any life from the darkroom as well. Well, any wife, at least.

Raghu Kuvempunagar · Sep 22, 2025

If you want Polysulphide toner for cheap, a local JADAM organic farmer/gardener might be able to help since they often make and use it themselves:

Kodak Polytoner and alternative sepia/sulfide toners

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koraks

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Guillaume Zuili

Raghu Kuvempunagar

Kodak Polytoner and alternative sepia/sulfide toners

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