Mixing Selenimum Toner

[ShannonG]

So im using the Illford Selenium toner 1 L bottle. Mixing 1-3.This makes 4 L.(says the directions on the bottle).. So I wanted to use 1/2 of the bottle so i measured out a 1/2 L from the bottle then added 1 and 1/2 L of water. Is this ok or should i mix the whole bottle. (not sure how fast i am going to use it up,or how long the solution stays good,that's why i mixed just 1/2 bottle)
I attempted to tone Kentmere Fiber Base,It toned a little making the blacks blacker but don't see the classic Selenium tone,(the whites didn't change much) I left the print in for 1 hour. Does Selenium take a long time?,or should i mix the whole bottle? What am i doing wrong? BTW its my first time with this toner,Thanks for any help.
Shannon

[AJ Edmondson]

You should be fine with the dilution. You won't see any change in the whites and, after an hour you aren't going to see any further change, also, selenium usually tones better at about 75 degrees F. Not all papers respond equally to selenium and I haven't seen many VC papers which performed great with SE (though that is a matter of individual taste). I always had good results with Ilford Galerie and Oriental Seagull but I usually don't tone for a strong color cast. As a rule the major effect (other than longevity) is an increase in the densities of darker values.
Joel

[vinny]

I tone my kentmere finegrain (kodak selenium) for 3 minutes at 1:19. you won't see much change with this paper.
selenium lasts a long long time. do a search on it.

[Jan Pedersen]

1:3 is a very strong solution and almost at the strength you want to use to increase contrast in negatives.
Some papers don't tone very well, the now long gone Kentmere Kentona was an exception. Ilfords papers don't tone well either but the newly announced paper should tone better.

You can mix any amount from your 1L bottle. I typically use 1:9 and use only 100ml to make a liter of mixed solution.
As Vinny said, it last a long time.

[ShannonG]

Ok great thanks for the information,ill try toning some Illford Galerie and some other papers,and ill adjust the temp. Thanks agian for the help
Shannon

[Mark Woods]

According to Tim Rudman, I believe 1:9 is what he recommends for 15:00, after that the density in the blacks is diminished. His toning book is quite amazing.

[Karl A]

One thing that can affect the toning is the type of fixer, if it has a hardener it will slow down the toning because it is more difficult for the toner to penetrate the emulsion. I have toned Kentmere Fineprint with Kodak selenium toner diluted 1:4 and it works well, but can take some time, e.g. several minutes, depending on how much of an effect you want. Just keep your eye on it. I takes on a slightly blue-black tone. It has more of a colour shift than Multigrade IV, but it also stays fairly neutral with toning. Compare against an untoned print to see the difference.

[ShannonG]

One thing that can affect the toning is the type of fixer, if it has a hardener it will slow down the toning because it is more difficult for the toner to penetrate the emulsion. I have toned Kentmere Fineprint with Kodak selenium toner diluted 1:4 and it works well, but can take some time, e.g. several minutes, depending on how much of an effect you want. Just keep your eye on it. I takes on a slightly blue-black tone. It has more of a colour shift than Multigrade IV, but it also stays fairly neutral with toning. Compare against an untoned print to see the difference.

Ok,I see now.The print is dry now and i compared it with a non toned print.I certainly see the difference in the mid-dark tones.I do use a Kodak fixer with a hardener in it witch probably accounts for the longer toning time.I really like the way it makes my print look,now im excited! I need to invest in a good respirator tho lol

[Doremus Scudder]

Ok,I see now.The print is dry now and i compared it with a non toned print.I certainly see the difference in the mid-dark tones.I do use a Kodak fixer with a hardener in it witch probably accounts for the longer toning time.I really like the way it makes my print look,now im excited! I need to invest in a good respirator tho lol

There is a lot of information about selenium toning here and on APUG. For most of us, a 1+3 dilution is WAY too strong. You may want to dilute your toner further once you gain experience with other papers.

Toning solution will last forever with replenishment, so don't waste your money and discard toxic selenium into the environment. See this thread http://www.apug.org/forums/forum37/1...enishment.html on replenishing and reusing selenium toner.

As for a respirator: if you use a weaker dilution and use it longer, the annoying ammonia odor will dissipate. My toning solutions are going on ten years old and don't smell at all.

Do read the directions and especially the warnings on your toner bottle. Use tongs or nitrile gloves when toning.

Best,

Doremus

[Ivan]

I used Kodak's Selenium Toner and experimented with different dilutions and temps. At the end I liked the high 1:5 at aroud 73 F. It doesnt need too much time to act, around 10 to 15 min. As I could see how it was affecting the print next to another one I kept nearby inmerse in water as to compare them.
I had good results with most FB papers including Ilfords Gallery and Multigrade, but by far the wildest visual toning effect was with Agfa's Multi Contrast Classic, as it was very easy to see exactly how far you wanted the dark areas to turn. For example sometimes I would just let it act half way and achieve a very cool Split grade effect, with warm shadows and cold lighter areas.
And oh yes, my wife thought I was realy crazy wearing that mask, lol. Have fun and show us your results.
Edit. I remember Eddie Euphrams mentioning in his book regarding toning, that it is better not to use a Hardening fixer, and that you can also combine it with other toners like gold or seppia etc.