Spotone Replacement

rbrown2 · Dec 20, 2009

Jon Shiu said:
In normal use, you wet the ink stick in water and kind of use a circular grinding motion on a stone-like thing that slopes and has a reservoir at one side.

Jon

oh, just noticed there is a picture upthread

Jon, Thanks so much. This was a great suggestion. I was just wondering now about the gum arabic. It was included in the original "recipe"...should it be included here. Or, put another way, what was its purpose?

fschifano · Dec 20, 2009

Marshall's Spot-All is available and it is exactly like the old Spotone. Why get crazy with trying to make a sow's ear into a silk purse?

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_search.php?rfnp=2500&q=marshall&rfnc=2504&

RalphLambrecht · Dec 20, 2009

fschifano said:
Marshall's Spot-All is available and it is exactly like the old Spotone. Why get crazy with trying to make a sow's ear into a silk purse?

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_search.php?rfnp=2500&q=marshall&rfnc=2504&

Marshall's Spot All is different from Spotone (the hue is different), but it is a very good product as well.

PKM-25 · Feb 25, 2014

TheFlyingCamera said:
There are also the SpotPens - they come in sets of 10, from a just-barely-darker-than-paper-white to absolute black. They can produce a point as fine as a #00 brush. They have warm tone and cool tone sets. They're not cheap, but they're well worth the money.

I like these for small areas, but larger ones it just seems to bead up. Am I supposed to pre-wet the area? Or should I just go with Peerless because that is all that's left it would seem.

Roger Cole · Feb 25, 2014

I've never been able to spot worth a damn no matter what I use. I have a set of Spotone, for all the good it does me.

Roger Cole · Feb 25, 2014

TheFlyingCamera said:
There are also the SpotPens - they come in sets of 10, from a just-barely-darker-than-paper-white to absolute black. They can produce a point as fine as a #00 brush. They have warm tone and cool tone sets. They're not cheap, but they're well worth the money.

Got those too. Can't get them to work either. If anything they're harder and less workable than a brush. I wish they worked for me. I wish SOMETHING worked.

I've got a spotting-ability gene broken or something.

Curt · Feb 25, 2014

Spotone is all I have used, I have the three bottle set. An original bottle dried out and could not be revived from the remnants left at the bottom. It is a shame the man who created it has long passed now and left no formula. Spotone is one of the small but extremely important items needed. Crocein Scarlet and Kodak Opaque black are gone also.

RalphLambrecht · Mar 1, 2014

I'm currently experimenting with a formula, using black drawing ink gumarabic,wetting agent and alcohol;let you knowif and ehen it works as well as spottone.

PKM-25 · Mar 1, 2014

I managed to snag a brand new 3 bottle Spotone set along with a dual 35/ single 120 Paterson 4 tank for a bargain. The seller said the flavors are 1,2,3 which seems odd as that set is normally 0,1,3. Since I mostly print with Ilford WT fiber, I hope he is right about the numbers.

Either way, a good start...

PKM-25 · Mar 3, 2014

OK, so I got the set, they are indeed the set I thought plus a full bottle of #0, olive, all new unopened.

So that makes full bottles of #1, Blue-Black, #2, Warm, #3 nuetral-black and the olive one. I should be able to tackle spotting with that and the pens for a long time...

megzdad81 · Mar 3, 2014

If you don't see so good, you never see spots needs fixin'

ROL · Mar 3, 2014

megzdad81 said:
If you don't see so good, you never see spots needs fixin'

That's why I use -3.5 Diopter spotting glasses. Can't see a damn thing unless I'm on the Moon (or reach the print).

A photography teacher once told me a single bottle of spot tone should last your whole life. I've so far seen no reason to indicate otherwise. I'll will mine to Ralph if he's nice to me.

RalphLambrecht · Mar 4, 2014

ROL said:
That's why I use -3.5 Diopter spotting glasses. Can't see a damn thing unless I'm on the Moon (or reach the print).

A photography teacher once told me a single bottle of spot tone should last your whole life. I've so far seen no reason to indicate otherwise. I'll will mine to Ralph if he's nice to me.

he will be

DREW WILEY · Mar 6, 2014

The Spotone formula was simply bought by Marshall's and reissued under their brand label. I can't tell the difference. As far as Kodak scarlet
goes, a little bottle will last a lifetime, so all you need to find is one. But the specific dye could also be bought from a current dye distributor,
though obviously at higher cost. And you'd have to cross-identify the exact dye using the CAS number, though there might also be similar
dyes which would work.

hoffy · Aug 31, 2014

I thought I would dig into this thread instead of creating a new one.

I have never spotted prints before (dumb luck means that I haven't had too many spots that have needed touching). I am finding that either I am getting fussier or not as careful and have prints that need a spot or too.

Based on a bit of reading, I have noticed that many recommend Marshall inks. I have now noticed that Freestyle certainly doesn't stock these any more. They are stocking the peerless range as well as the pens. How good are the Peerless inks, or should I really be looking for the Marshall gear?

Cheers

hoffy · Sep 1, 2014

Greg Davis said:
Peerless inks are good. I have used the color book for my RA4 prints, but I haven't tried the black and white stuff since I have a lifetime supply of Spotone.

I assume that you are using the dry sheets? What is the process when using those?

Patrick Robert James · Sep 2, 2014

I use the Peerless sheets these days. I simply snip off a small section of the sheet and put it into water in a watercolor tray, slosh it about until the color comes off, then let it dry. I then use it the same as I used to do with Spotone. I stumbled across some Spotone a couple years ago and have that in the tray as well. There really isn't much difference IMO. They both do the job.

hoffy · Sep 2, 2014

OK, thanks for the reply Patrick.

I think I'll order some next time I order from Freestyle and try it out. At least I know the gear won't dry out!

Philippe Grunchec · May 9, 2015

I still have some original Spotone bottles: can I use them to spot films also, and if yes, on which side ?
Thx in advance.

Jim Jones · May 9, 2015

Spotone works on the emulsion side of film as well as on prints.

Philippe Grunchec · May 9, 2015

Thanks, Jim! I will try...

RalphLambrecht · May 21, 2015

Philippe Grunchec said:
I still have some original Spotone bottles: can I use them to spot films also, and if yes, on which side ?
Thx in advance.

with film,I'd try the shiny film base side first.if something goes wrong you canclean the spotone off with distilled water and start over;something you cannot do on the emulsion side

RalphLambrecht · Jun 6, 2015

sorry could not upload the file due to size limits;email me at rlambrec@ymail.com and I'll send it directly

Spotone Replacement

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