Gold Toning

[xkaes]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wolfgang_moersch/

[Drew Wiley]

xkaes - the gold toner itself distinctly deepens the blacks, or enhances the DMax. There is no need to selenium too, unless you want its sepia effect. Sometimes I do use them in combination; but the depth of black can be entirely manipulated using gold chloride alone.

[Ulophot]

Drew, I'd be interested to know a bit about how you achieve economy with the gold toner. I tried a bit many years ago but did not get the effect I was looking for and that was that. I don;t know if your economy would fit mine, but the stuff is clearly out of my range at present.

I ask with the following in mind: Ilford WT is my standard paper, and I use a dilute selenium to tone it to varying, usually moderate degrees. As similar users know, most VC papers split-tone, Ilford WT being no exception, and I am not a fan in my own work. I can users a stronger concentration to go towards chocolate and get the higher values to tone more, but that's not always my choice. I don't embrace using a sulfide toner, due to my set-up. Gold, possibly along with selenium, if seems, might offer another avenue.

[esearing]

Selenium also responds to MGFB WT prints that have been bleached slightly with or without being redeveloped and dark tones become a bit warmer. To get colder tones I use the Bergger glossy papers with Ansco 130 (PF 130) at full strength or 1 to 1.5. Have not tried Moersch' Blue formula but its on my list of to-dos.

[Ulophot]

esearing, my current process is to second-fix prints and then move them directly to the selenium, per Doremus's procedure.

1. What is the effect on the higher tones from slight bleaching, i.e., do they tone more relative to the low values?
2. If I were to try this, what sort of dilution and time might I use for the bleach (I assume, potassium ferricyanide), or what degree of bleaching?
3. Any hints on bleach capacity vis number of 8x10s
4. Do I need any potassium bromide in the bleach?
5. In sepia toning I did years ago, the print had to be somewhat darker prior to (full) bleach to hold high values in the toned print. Is this the case here also?

Thanks.