Vandyke and gold.. /after/ fix..

buze · Nov 3, 2007

I plonked a few old vandykes into Tetenal Gold toner, and I wasn't expecting much...

But they toned ! 15 minutes or so in and they turn a more neutral grey-ish. Still 'warm' but quite a different shade of 'dark brown'. The DMax stays more or less the same.

So, whats wrong? were my vandykes badly fixed/cleared, or is it perfectly normal ? From my reading I assumed the toning had to be done before fixing -- with the exception of selenium.

In any case it gives an interesting option.

Ole · Nov 3, 2007

Everything is perfectly normal, and toning after fixing is no problem at all. It gives a slightly different tone than toning before fixing - or maybe that depends on whether or not the toning coes to completion?

smieglitz · Nov 3, 2007

VDB toning test (be forwarned: naked lady in the woods pic)

Toning VDBs with gold after fixing is SOP for me.

sanking · Nov 3, 2007

You can tone with gold either before fixing or after fixing. I tone before fixing because I find that I get more Dmax than if I fix and then tone. The idea is to replace the silver with gold (or palladium or platinum) as soon as possible because the fixer can not reduce the toned image with the nobel metals, but if you are not careful it will reduce the silver image.

Sandy King

buze · Nov 3, 2007

Ah, thats reassuring somehow

I'm quite happy how they turned out really, gives a nice option on the output tone one might want, without the problems of Selenium.

Here's a scan. Obviously it's a reject, and the scan is nowhere near capturing the nice tones and subtle purple highlights, but here you go..

Vandyke and gold.. /after/ fix..

buze

Ole

Moderator

smieglitz

sanking

buze

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