The Toner Thread

[MattKing]

Thank you. So which toners are best at boosting contrast in prints, please?

Use of a bleach and redevelop toner - such as sepia toner - can give you a result which appears to increase the range of tones - because the bleaching part tends to lighten the highlights slightly. It is for that reason that the instructions for that type of toner recommend that prints be slightly darker than normal, before toning is done.
However, at least some of the affect is subjective and a matter of perception - warm tones in a print seem to differentiate themselves differently in prints.
I like using brown toner. It doesn't tend to lighten the prints, but the change of tone changes how they appear.

 

[koraks]

Thank you. So which toners are best at boosting contrast in prints, please?

All, or none.

A real contrast boost is easier to achieve by other means - altering the negative (e.g. developing longer, intensifying) or altering the print itself (e.g. print at a higher grade).

Subtle contrast 'boosts' can be obtained with for instance selenium or gold toning, but these are rather subtle effects. Bleaching can be used to lighten highlights, which will also boost contrast - by clipping the higher values and leaving the shadows more or less unaffected.

In all instances of questions like these, it helps to be as specific as possible, because as long as the question remains generic, answers in totally different directions (even opposite ones) could still apply, and that generally means you're not quite out of the woods yet.

 

[kr236rk]

All, or none.

A real contrast boost is easier to achieve by other means - altering the negative (e.g. developing longer, intensifying) or altering the print itself (e.g. print at a higher grade).

Subtle contrast 'boosts' can be obtained with for instance selenium or gold toning, but these are rather subtle effects. Bleaching can be used to lighten highlights, which will also boost contrast - by clipping the higher values and leaving the shadows more or less unaffected.

In all instances of questions like these, it helps to be as specific as possible, because as long as the question remains generic, answers in totally different directions (even opposite ones) could still apply, and that generally means you're not quite out of the woods yet.

Thank you - this is possibly what I was searching for. I found it on the Internet:-

"Selenium Toner SLT20, being a true selenium toner, will add contrast to the image."

Emphasis mine.

https://fotospeed.com/amfile/file/download/file/161/product/4372/

 

[nmp]

Thank you - this is possibly what I was searching for. I found it on the Internet:-

"Selenium Toner SLT20, being a true selenium toner, will add contrast to the image."

Emphasis mine.

https://fotospeed.com/amfile/file/download/file/161/product/4372/

How do you plan to combine solarization and toning?

 

[kr236rk]

How do you plan to combine solarization and toning?

I haven't trialled this yet, am still setting up a system of ventilation for my home-darkroom.

The idea would be to briefly expose a developing print to light, during development.

The resulting solarised image would then be toned, then and there; or dried, then toned later.

Possibly several toning episodes might be employed, using different toners.

 

[nmp]

I haven't trialled this yet, am still setting up a system of ventilation for my home-darkroom.

The idea would be to briefly expose a developing print to light, during development.

The resulting solarised image would then be toned, then and there; or dried, then toned later.

Possibly several toning episodes might be employed, using different toners.

Sounds like a plan. Do share the final results if you can - it should be interesting. That reminds me, if you want another candidate for direct sulfide toning, try out Kala Namak (something you can buy at an Indian grocery store or Amazon, etc.) Check out this thread:

Lo and Behold: Turns out Black Salt Makes a Terrific Toner

(or this one weird trick....) I didn't know where best to post this. But since I fell into this “discovery” (didn't find any instances in literature, do point out otherwise) while working on my salt print process, this forum might be as good as any. It seems that the Himalayan Black (or Pink)...

www.photrio.com

:Niranjan.

 

[kr236rk]

Sounds like a plan. Do share the final results if you can - it should be interesting. That reminds me, if you want another candidate for direct sulfide toning, try out Kala Namak (something you can buy at an Indian grocery store or Amazon, etc.) Check out this thread:

Lo and Behold: Turns out Black Salt Makes a Terrific Toner

(or this one weird trick....) I didn't know where best to post this. But since I fell into this “discovery” (didn't find any instances in literature, do point out otherwise) while working on my salt print process, this forum might be as good as any. It seems that the Himalayan Black (or Pink)...

www.photrio.com

:Niranjan.

Thank you - black salt - sounds intriguing.

Am just trying out the ventilation set-up now, so far so good. I will still need to put up shelving for enlarger & sort the baths, so I wouldn't be expecting results until summer 2023 at the earliest.

The current darkroom preparation is so that I can process b/w slide film, so it's all 'in camera', apart from the lamp-exposure part, no prints as such.