Sepia Toner with Easy to find reagents

[Chromium VI]

Hello everyone!
I've recently posted on my website (I invite everyone for a visit, it's on my signature) a PDF on how to make a Sepia Toner with reagents found in a hardware store. I made it using stuff I could find in a 2km (a tad more than a mile for those in the US) radius, and results are gorgeous!
The PDF:

I would like to encourage everyone who try it out to give me a feedback, it takes less than 1 hour to make.

Enjoy!

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

I would like to encourage everyone who try it out to give me a feedback, it takes less than 1 hour to make.

This is a very useful idea that gets rediscovered once in a while. There are concerns about degradation in storage due to the formation of Thiosulphate, but freshly made toner works beautifully.

Here are some posts/threads from the past that you might find interesting and useful.

Sulphide/Polysulphide toner made using Sodium Hydroxide and Sulphur works well as sepia toner. Here is Gerry Koch talking about how it helped in a print show:

T-8 Polysulphide Toner Questions/Modifications

Trying to find some information on the T-8 Polysulphide toner listed in Tim Rudman's toning book and Steve Anchell's "Darkroom Cookbook" and it's relationship to the Kodak Brown toner in terms of usage and modification. Anyone have any insights into the following questions? Can the T-8 toner...

www.photrio.com

Similar ideas are discussed and tested thanks to non-availability of Kodak toner.

Kodak Polytoner and alternative sepia/sulfide toners

I'm famous for stinking my whole building...! 😂 My friends did this to make fun of me Matt, I know of this substitute but I dont want to play with selenium powder. I wonder why you can't use liquid selenium.

www.photrio.com

The toner concentrate can be synthesised in a simpler way without requiring external heating which makes :

Kodak Polytoner and alternative sepia/sulfide toners

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...

www.photrio.com

It can be also used for direct toning of Kallitypes and Cuprotypes after diluting suitably:

Kodak Polytoner and alternative sepia/sulfide toners

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...

www.photrio.com

 

[Chromium VI]

Hi @Raghu Kuvempunagar!

I've read those threads already. And I noticed on my experiments that the heat generated by the caustic soda upon the addition of water is enough to start the reaction. My formula actually calls for much less sulfur than any of those others, actually has a a ratio of almost 8:1 SH to sulfur. It's stechiometrcally balanced for sodium sulfide, for each 2 mols of it 1 mol of sulfite is formed and amounts were inspired on Kodak T-7a actually, and is meant to be a 2 step process, instead of a single bath. Also, I need to point out that the solution I've made is odorless, I thought it was just me (I'm a bit insensible to strong smells), so I've let more 4 people to try it out, and none said to produce a smell of any kind (apart from the vinegar). The idea might not be new, but the what is intended to make a difference is the way to get there. Soon I will post more alternative bleaches that will influence the final tone.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

My formula actually calls for much less sulfur than any of those others, actually has a a ratio of almost 8:1 SH to sulfur. It's stechiometrcally balanced for sodium sulfide, for each 2 mols of it 1 mol of sulfite is formed

The reaction between Sodium Hydroxide and Sulphur always produces some Sodium Polysulphides in addition to Sodium Sulphide. Further, Sodium Sulphite and Sodium Thiosulphate can be secondary products in the reaction. The formula that uses more Sulphur is expected to produce more Polysulphides (it is adapted from a patent on commercial synthesis of Polysulphides after all). Polysulphides are usually preferred over Sulphide for toning. And JADAM formula is designed to digest all the Sulphur without additional heating and hence has lower amount of Sulphur. Despite the difference in the amount of Sulphur used, all these formulae give usable toners.

 

[koraks]

All I know is that all three types of DIY direct sepia toner I made (see my post in one of those threads above) worked A-OK. I prefer to use them as indirect toners - takes a lot less stuff, it's quicker and the net result is great. Then again, it's not any greater than thiourea toner, which moreover is more flexible in the range of hues it can produce.