Real Cool Prints

[John Cook]

After several decades of sepia toning display prints, it may now be time to enter my “blue period” (just in time for snow season in New England).

It would appear that papers are clearly labeled as being warm or cold. But finding a cold developer seems to be just a bit more challenging. I am reading that Dektol and Amidol are the two leading candidates. Although Ilford states that their Multigrade Coldtone displays coldness when the development time is extended, presumably with any developer.

Just two questions: (1) Can a “warm” developer actually inhibit or defeat the blueness of a cold paper? And (2) has anyone suggestions for his favorite cold developer?

[Bill_1856]

Since you're making display prints, consider using Gold Toner to make blue prints.

[Gem Singer]

Hi John,

Interesting. I recently purchased 50gm. benzotriazole from Artcraft, mixed up a liter of 2% solution, and am planning on adding some to my tray of Ilford PQ Universal paper developer. That should cool those prints down a bit. I'm using Multigrade IV FB paper. Benzotriazole added to Dektol also cools the image, as you know. I am growing tired of looking at the warmtone images hanging on my wall that were made during my "brown period". As you have said, great minds seem to travel on the same pathway.

By the way, Did you get a chance to try the Ilford DD-X developer with the Delta 100 film? Let us know how it works out.

[Scott Walton]

I too have grown tired of the warm tone look. I have been printing with LPD for awhile with a dilution of 1:1 and sometimes straight. John, if you want to wonder into the alternatives... Cyanotypes are very easy but are contact products. New England winters are very nice aren't they!

[Tim Curry]

Give Photographer's Formulary "improved Dektol" and gold toning a try and see what you think. You may also enjoy selenium toner for a cooler look which is more toward purple. I recently used up the last of my Ilford PQ and did notice the difference from Dektol. I still like Dektol for its deep contrast and solid blacks. No matter what the developer, a toner is necessary to get a full range of values and better contrast.

If you decide to go to Amidol, look at Michael & Paula's web page for azo paper. Amidol is best used with the soft contact printing papers. It won't be much different with "modern" papers than dektol, so save the money unless you want to do some contact printing.

[Kevin Crisp]

John: Seagull VC fiber base tones like gangbusters in selenium. Even a very short immersion in a dilute mix will cool the image without getting anywhere near the true eventual brown/eggplant color. A very good paper for other reasons too, you might like it.

[John Cook]

Thank-you, friends, for taking the time to reply. Sounds like its time to send a little money to the folks at Photographers' Formulary. What a treat - no more brown snow scenes!

[CP Goerz]

A nice blue/black developer is the following...

Amidol 6.6g Sodium Sulphite 44g Pottasium Bromide .5g water to make 1 liter. Use at full strength and use hot water to dissolve the sulphite and bromide.

A neutral black developer which can set you up for a nice tone is...

Metol 3g Sodium Sulphite 43g Hydroquinone 11g Sodium Carbonate 29g Bromide 2g water to make 1 liter.

And finally a nice blue toner is.....

Pottassium Ferricyanide 8g Ferric Ammonium Citrate 8g Succinic Acid 37g Water to make 1 liter, An 8g/1000ml of water afterbath will make a slightly less blue tone to the print. Make the initial print slightly lighter as the solution will make it a bit darker. The tone can be washed out in case you overtone.

CP Goerz.

[James Stewart]

I really like to use Forte Fortezo, but I don't care for the warm tone of this chlorobromide paper. Here's how I get by:

I mix my own developer (Ansco 120 or 130), which isn't that critical, but in the process I learned that to create colder tones 1 avoid KBr as the restrainer and use something with benzotriazole as others have said. Cut back on the recommended amounts of benzo: I use 20 mls of a 1% solution per liter of stock developer and see no fog under my conditions. 2 very slightly tone with selenium (even with warmer toned developers on warmer papers, I found that I could cool the print to neutral to purple using selenium). I use a 5% solution of KRST and tone for not more than 2 minutes (but experiment to your taste).

Hope it helps. Looks like you got plenty of ideas.

[John Cook]

Thanks, James.