Selective lightening of Print - what to use?

[darkosaric]

Hi all,

I saw a friend use very diluted potassium ferricyanide with brush to lighten a part of the print.

I have Farmers reducer (Potassium ferricyanide + sodium thiosulfate).

Should I use only potassium ferricyanide, or whole Farmers reducer, or simply diluted bleach that I got from Moersch?

We are speaking about very light effect - some face in the crowd, or eyes on the portrait, it should be very very light effect.

Thanks,

 

[wilfbiffherb]

Depends. If you want it permanent use farmers. If you think you may mess up use the bleak have from your sepia toner kit (potassium ferricyanide/potassium bromide) diluted around 1:7 or 1:9 then when you're happy fix the print again. If you mess up you can always redevelop before fixing.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I have a jar of Pot Fer. I dilute a very small amount (size of a pea) into about 100ml of water. The whole print goes into a plain non-hardening fix that I mix up from scratch (sodium thiosulfate and a bit of sodium sulfite... don't have exact measurements in my head), for a few minutes, then placed on a the back of a flat-bottomed tray which I lean in the sink. Print is rinsed quickly, then I brush the PF on the area I want to lighten, keeping the hose directly under the area, quick rinse, then drop print in the fix. I repeat this process until area is lightened. If bleaches too quickly, dilute the PF more.
This method works very well.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Masking fluid (liquid frisket) or rubber cement can be used to protect those portions of the print where reduction is not desired.