What are you using for retouching B&W prints?

Alex Benjamin

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GregY

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I still have a full complement of Spot tone plus a BW retouching kit i bought as a back-up. It looks like Freestyle still has Peerless dyes..... or you could try fotospeed from the uk. I guess i'll have to try the sheets w my next B&H order. Does Jacques at Argentix have anything in stock?
 

Milpool

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Peerless is good.

I remember trying the spot pens at one time but didn’t like them. I prefer to do spotting with an almost dry brush technique.
 

GregY

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Alex, it looks as though the Peerless dyes are in stock at Argentix!
 
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Alex Benjamin

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GregY said:
Alex, it looks as though the Peerless dyes are in stock at Argentix!
Click to expand...

Thanks. A few here have recommended them, so I'll give it a try.
 

Saganich

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Same issue. I've been using the peerless dry sheets for 3 months and after getting the hang if using them I like them better then the pen sets, which I also have and use.
 

DREW WILEY

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I have a Peerless dry set on hand, but prefer Spot Tone. I still have enough of that on hand, including the Marshall label of the same thing, after they bought out Spot Tone. But their current dye offering is something different.

My most used Spot Tone dyes are Neutral Black, Selenium Brown, and Olive Tone, variously mixed together and diluted of course, as needed.
 

Don_ih

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I use Marshalls with a very fine pen nib (makes pin-tip size dots) and an old set of the pens. I hate doing it, so I spend as much time as I can stand getting dust off the negatives. My eyesight is drifting to the far side, so that's improving the look of my prints, as well....
 

BMbikerider

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It isn't often I have to spot prints but when I do it is with a '000' sable brush and the contents of unused 5 ink cartridge plus a black one. I can reproduce almost any shade from almost red sepia to a very cold tone B&W. The brush cost more than the two cartridge's
 

cliveh

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Many years ago when I was at college learning photography, I had an o brush and oo brush, inks, scalpel and other aids for retouching. But you will find if you abandon unnecessary chemicals and procedures like photo-flow, wetting agent, drying cabinets (they actually blow dust into a wet negative) and keep your processing simple, then retouching is not needed. All your negatives and prints will be spotless.
 

DREW WILEY

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Interesting, Cliveh. But don't be surprised if I'm highly skeptical of your claim, and I have a true cleanroom setup if needed.

Mr bikerider - how do you contend with the how inks sit on the surface of the emulsion, rather than penetrating? There must be a sheen difference involved.
 

Peter Schrager

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I have spotone bottles but also have some from Germany that are quite nice.. im not home so i cant give the brand...will update
 

eli griggs

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Sumi ink blocks of various tones, warmth and coolness, with processed test strips/paint for deciding mixed.

Windsor Newton. 000,00,000 rounds and a ½ flat, kit should perfect for brushes but buy in person and with a sales clerk, water wet test, test each brush on to watercolour wet stock paper (Raphael made, I think) to be sure each points and recovers it's dry shape once you've washed the packing starch out.

Reject any that fail, because you'll have it a long time in most cases and hate it entirely.

Real sable, no synthetic or mixed hair bristles, sable only.

Always wash after every session, and shape to final shape, wetness waterer or don't leave it sitting brush hair downward.

W&N art gel is a good cleaner and shaper, as well as brush hair conditioner.

This also cleans other brush materials but shines with sable hairs.

Good luck.
 

Maris

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I employ the original Spotone set of dyes and a couple of 000 and 00000 brushes. I purchased this equipment in 1972 and am no where near to using up even 10% of it.
 

Augustus Caesar

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Maris said:
I employ the original Spotone set of dyes and a couple of 000 and 00000 brushes. I purchased this equipment in 1972 and am no where near to using up even 10% of it.
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I never got very good results with liquids. With pencils, you can control the application exactly, whereas with liquids the flow is not as easy to control. It is also difficult to change or remove liquids if you are unhappy with the result.
 
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DREW WILEY

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I have all kinds of art pencils, and wouldn't dream of using them on a glossy print. It sits on the surface, whereas a real retouching dye sinks into the emulsion and doesn't betray itself with a mismatched sheen if properly mixed. And soft pencil might transfer to the back of another matted print stacked in a portfolio box.

Spot Tone easily washes out if you just put the print back into a tray of water or into the print washer for a little while.

Once in awhile I will touch up a tiny white spot requiring deep black with a very fine point Sharpie pen. That would be a sheen mismatch too if it weren't so small an area as to not attract attention.
 

Patrick Robert James

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These days I use a combination of Peerless sheets melted in water and good ol' Spotone, both in a tray made for watercolors. I used them dry and add a wet brush.

I've never heard of a pencil for a glossy print so I got out my pencils. Used a 8b which is the softest I think I have, and it didn't do squat to ILMGWT. On a matt print it did sort of work, but the sheen was way different and obvious.

I've heard of people using gum arabic and india ink, but I think that is like really old school. I've never tried it.

One tip is to learn to use the biggest brush you can. A really good brush will have a super fine point no matter the size of it. The one I use the most is a #2 Winsor and Newton series 707 pure sable. Worth every penny. Saves tons of time.
 

Don_ih

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Patrick Robert James said:
I've heard of people using gum arabic and india ink, but I think that is like really old school. I've never tried it.
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I've used india ink a few times with pen nibs on prints. If you're only spotting really dark areas, it works ok. However, you can see those spots forevermore if you look at the print obliquely. The spotting inks are better.
 
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