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Selenium toner and print washing

rmolson

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Feb 23, 2006
Messages
327
Location
Mansfield Oh
Format
Medium Format
The instructions for Kentmere Fine Print call for an hour wash after toning in selenium and hint at a shorter time using a hypo eliminator .Ilford’s use of rapid fixer times seem based on not toning the prints.
I have a Paterson print washer in a small basement darkroom . It uses about 15 to 20 gallons an hour , which for occasional use is not excessive. Using food coloring I get a complete exchange of water every 30 minutes. but how accurate that is, is questionable .Works great to find leaks in a toilet tank. . So I have the Formulary test solution , but is that a good indicator for selenium toned prints? I can’t seem to find any data on how long the stuff lasts either ..
 
Selenium toner leaves behind sulfur (and selenium) compounds very much like the fixer does. HCT or a similar clearing agent does help shorten the wash time. Generally, follow the same wash instructions that you would following the fixer. I understand, but don't know, that you can use a somewhat abbreviated wash before selenium toning.