toning.

[PhotoTyler]

Whats the procedure for toning prints with coffee or tea or food coloring? I'm looking to try that today, but i am not sure exactly how its done.


Thanks, tyler

 

[ann]

basically the same as any other toning process. Decide what you want to use. Take a print, pre-wet. place in the solution, l.e. coffe, tea, etc. pull and wash.

there is some debate about tea being somewhat archival due to the tannic acid in tea. Don't know about food coloring or coffee, but have my doubts.

the type of tea ; i.e fruit etc will effect the tone of the print . Most who try this use a strong black tea rather than a light fruity tea. Never tried the others so i can't comment.
We tried tea in my basic toning class and it won a "thumbs down" vote from everyone; so now we don't take the time with it, however, that is not to say there will be others who think it is grand.

there are so many other stable photo toners that it didn't make sense to us, as the results where quite ugly.

However, get it a go and decide for yourself.

 

[Deniz]

folgers diluted 1:2 from the drinking strenght and cooled down and washed print is left in it for some time..
its simple

 

[rogueish]

Stained an RC print with black tea once. It came out streaky (still not sure why) and looked like an old newspaper left in the sun.
Personally I, in the future may try to stain a FB print, but I'll not do another RC print - waste of good tea IMO.

 

[Lee Shively]

I did a batch of Ilford WT RC 11x14's in cheap Walmart tea a few months ago that looked great. I was worried about the high temp involved but the prints had no ill effects at all. I've not tried coffee yet. My wife bought a large can of some generic coffee recently that proved to be undrinkable so I have the raw materials to try it.

 

[titrisol]

Undrinkable coffee??? try caffenol for developing film
(formulas in the (there was a url link here which no longer exists))

I did a lot of that staining with tea and coffe... it was fun, and even after 10 years the pics look good (they are framed @my mom's house)
Just prepare a very strong tea batch (6 or 8 bags in 1l), let it cool down to luke warm and then put your wet prints in there until the tone you want is achieved. I liked to wash after toning for a couple of minutes.
I tried toning once with mint tea but the green tone faded quickly

I did a batch of Ilford WT RC 11x14's in cheap Walmart tea a few months ago that looked great. I was worried about the high temp involved but the prints had no ill effects at all. I've not tried coffee yet. My wife bought a large can of some generic coffee recently that proved to be undrinkable so I have the raw materials to try it.