Which Developer & Paper for Subtly Warm Prints?

[michael stevens]

After a couple of years of developing my own black and white film I'm about to take the plunge and start wet printing on for the first time and am in the process of buying in supplies.

I'm aiming for prints just a shade warmer than neutral (not a sepia or obviously "toned" look) and need a starting point to begin my own tests. For various reasons I'd prefer to stick to Ilford products if possible.

Will I notice any difference between a warmtone developer on neutral paper and a neutral developer on warmtone paper? (I plan to use fibre paper.) How do PQ, Bromophen and Warmtone developers rank in warmness on neutral paper?

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ian Grant]

Warm tone developers have little effect on neutral papers.

With a warm tone paper you can control warmth with development and exposure, to get warmer tones it's longer exposures and shorter dev times/ or more dilute developer.

To get slightly warm tones then you keep the print exposure to the bare minimum and process for longer. You can also vary the developer, use PQ Universal rather than Ilford Warmtone.

You can start with Ilford Warmtone paper eatirt RC or FB.

Ian

 

[Rick A]

Ethol LPD does help control tone somewhat. Dilutes around 1+4 gives a slight warm tone without sacrificing developing time. Mixed 1+1 shows a cool tone in the same amout of time. Choice of paper has more to do with tone. By reading the info in the cataloque you should be able to determine which you want. Some paper manufacturers offer a sample package to show what they offer for tones and surface finish.

 

[K-G]

Among Ilford papers I have found that Galerie has a slightly warmer tone than the Multigrade IV . My experience with Multigrade Warmtone is limited but I think it is warmer than what you want. Galerie may be worth trying even if it is only available in grades 2 and 3 today.
If you can go outside the Ilford sphere ( excelent in itself ! ) ADOX MCC 110 should be able to give you the results you are asking for. All these comparisons are based on developing in Ilford Multigrade deloper.
Good to see that a new darkroom is starting up.

Karl-Gustaf

 

[K-G]

Developer ! Sorry about that.

Karl-Gustaf

 

[BetterSense]

I use Arista EDU Ultra RC paper and I find that it gives a slightly warm tone when developed in ancient Dektol. I just keep the same batch going and add about 200mL of fresh stock and fresh water every session, so it's dark brown like coffee. When I developed this paper in fresh Dektol, it gave an unpleasant greenish tone.

 

[jeffreyg]

Ilford Multigrade Warmtone FB is a very nice paper. It is warmer than their Multigrade IV FB but just slightly in Dektol. I suggest contacting Photographers' Formulary for suggestions for other developers. I did not experience any greenish tones. Ilford has a warmtone developer but I haven't tried it. Not recently, but at times I would partially develop in a warmtone developer then into Dektol and get a very pleasing result - that was with graded paper. I don't know if multicontrast papers will do the same.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[Tim Gray]

From what little I've printed on Ilford Warmtone, I'd suggest trying that. It's not too in your face in Ilford Multigrade dev, at least I don't think so. I'm not familiar with other warmtone papers, so I can't suggest any for you.

 

[BBarlow690]

Ansco 130, or Formulary 130. Gives a very subtle warm tone on just about any paper. Stock lasts forever. working solution has high capacity.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Ilford Warmtone, dectol 1-1.5 , Selenium toner 1:5 45 seconds, is my favorite combination for a slightly warm print.

 

[hpulley]

Ilford Warmtone FB or RC in Bromophen 1+3 should be perfect.

 

[traveller]

A lot of votes for Ilford but I will recommend another paper

My vote for Adox Variotone, I develop with Moersch Eco 4812, Dektol works fine too

 

[Mark Fisher]

Bob wrote what I was going to write. The other suggestion is to use Ilford MG and sepia tone it. It is fairly resistant to toning so getting a subtle warmth is fairly easy.

 

[brian steinberger]

I'd try Ilford warmtone, or for a neutral paper Adox MC110 is just subtly warm. Either way you're probably going to have to atleast selenium tone to get the best results.

 

[michael stevens]

Thanks for all the advice: lots to try there. I just got a good deal on some multigrade developer so that's one variable defined. Now time to try out some papers. The Adox sounds like a good starting point.

 

[piu58]

I tried Oriental Seagull VC Warmtone, ab varable contrast baryte paper. It gives quite warm tones in every developer, and especially in warmtone develpers. Long toning gives quite warmer tones of a different hue.

 

[Joe O'Brien]

Check out the link in the third post of this thread:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Absolutely amazing information!

 

[2F/2F]

I would start by experimenting with LPD developer, since it is so easy to get from the store and so easy to use it diluted various ways for various effects. Try it with a paper that will go warm easily. I would not use Ilford MGFB or Oriental. They have seemed pretty resistant to developer changes when I have tried. Both will go slightly creamy in the whites with "pseudo replenished" Ilford PQ developer. (To do this, I use the spent solution in place of water when it is time to mix more developer.) But the mids and blacks seem to stay neutral. I wouldn't call it a full-on "warm tone" effect. More like "tinting" the highlights. Kind of like a very mild tea toning.

Adox MCC 110 will respond to development changes pretty easily IME. If LPD isn't making you happy, maybe try homebrewing something. But for now, I'd experiment with Adox MCC 110 in LPD, since it is a relatively cheap and easy combination. I'll bet some of the Foma papers would work well too, but I couldn't tell you from personal experience.

Ilford Warmtone glossy fiber is an absolutely gorgeous paper IMO, because it isn't all that warm. It is barely noticeable if the print is not held next to a neutral one. The matte is quite brown in comparison, IME.

But it is ridiculously expensive. I will not buy it again unless it is a special occasion. I will just use MCC in LPD.