Toning with J-ello? what?

[photomem]

My photo teacher is telling my class to use jello as a toning solution. To teach toning, I understand, but she is promoting it as something for regular use. I can only imagine the field day that fungus and mold would have with the sugar left over, but this cannot be a good idea.

Discuss.

 

[fschifano]

Jello? Well, it is gelatin, and it comes in some wild colors. Maybe try the sugar free variety.

 

[Hexavalent]

Carbon prints made with gelatin and sugar have lasted for decades. A bit of thymol or similar preservative would probably keep fungus etc., at bay.

 

[CBG]

So, what is the coloring process with Jello toning? Is it whatever color or dyes already come in the package of Jello? Is it some other chemical your teacher introduces into the jello? Can you tell more about what is going on?

 

[photomem]

Sorry for the typos in my original post. The reason I am concerned about this is the fact that these are first year students who have no idea how photography actually works.

 

[photomem]

She id having them produce prints and then soak them in diluted jello.

 

[nickandre]

A good long soak in formaldehyde ought to cure any problems that might arise.

 

[Vaughn]

All the sugar would come out in the wash, and once dried the buggers can't access the gelatin.

Vaughn -- maker of Jello prints (carbons) w/o preservatives

 

[removed account4]

just last night i handling some jello
soaked prints i made 20 years ago ...
no sign of mold or bugs or any problems
they still smell like cherry, and i didn't have to
scratch before i sniffed!

 

[CBG]

OK. I have to know. What does the jello do? How does it do it? All I can conjur up is tasty green jiggly prints. Help!

 

[photomem]

It stains the paper. Not really a toner, it just makes the paper look neon and the print look like a bad photocopy.

 

[Rick A]

Just sounds like a cheap version of the Berg color toners that I have used in the past. I suppose you can use food coloring, no different than soaking in coffee or tea to tone, just more colorful.

 

[jp498]

I think there is some premise that jello makes any activity more fun. Jello shots, Jello wrestling, etc...

I'd prefer coffee or tea for toning with food.

 

[Dan Williams]

All the sugar would come out in the wash, and once dried the buggers can't access the gelatin.

Vaughn -- maker of Jello prints (carbons) w/o preservatives

At Vaughn's Carbon workshop he stuck his finger in the glop (the mixture of gelatin, sugar and pigment) and tasted it. I don't know what was the tastiest color.

Dan

 

[Shadowtracker]

Try walnut hulls as a dye... or a negative developer.... However, film is 'gelatin based' originally; maybe there is some historical aspect to this? But I agree, the sugar would wash out and nearly any presevative would prevent fungus, etc. But the aspect of a photo show that you smell your way through, now that is different.

 

[Vaughn]

Just sounds like a cheap version of the Berg color toners that I have used in the past. I suppose you can use food coloring, no different than soaking in coffee or tea to tone, just more colorful.

I had assumed that the tannic acid in the coffee and tea actually chemically reacted in some way with the silver in the print. Am I wrong (again...LOL!)?

Vaughn

Dan -- perhaps I should market my Glop at health stores -- strengthens your nails, helps painful joints, and the carbon helps to clean out the digestive track. I could toss in a little anise to give it that black licorice flavor!

 

[Photo Engineer]

All the sugar would come out in the wash, and once dried the buggers can't access the gelatin.

Vaughn -- maker of Jello prints (carbons) w/o preservatives

Bugs can attack non-silver prints, but silver metal itself is a biocide.

The dyes in jello can absorb into the paper and dye the paper much like coffee or tea can.

You can use dilute food dyes as well.

PE

 

[Vaughn]

PE -- well, I had ants make their nests in a couple big boxes of matted 16x20 silver gelatin prints, though they did not eat the prints, they bloody ruined them!

Corrected:

All the sugar would come out in the wash, and once dried the buggers can't easily access the gelatin. (I was referring to microbes/molds, actually -- "buggers" was not a good choice of a word.)

Vaughn

 

[daleeman]

I have used Mike & Ike Candy to add as pigment to Gum prints. The Red Mike & Ikes work the best. You have to use a lot of them, dilute them into almost a paste and mix it in. AND... wait for it.... you get to eat your mistakes. I did it just to see if it would and got some results. I ate the rest of the box of M&I and have not tried further experiements with them, so Jello sounds like a great idea.

Lee