Iron Blue Toner

[marcookie]

I experimented with iron blue toner and liked some of the results. The brilliancy of the tones is unlike anything I have ever seen. It definitely has some uses.

Here are some of the results; they are all scans of 8x10 contact prints.

I made a youtube video/tutorial about the process.

Any comment or critique is highly appreciated.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfALnFVEo44&t=1s

Full toning:
https://i.ibb.co/GR69N2d/boats089.jpg

Partial toning:
https://i.ibb.co/kQFfsyP/andys071.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/RNFLxZ6/palms069.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/FYmCjrb/bridge2-after073.jpg

A blog post with plenty of details at this link (https://marcofantin.blogspot.com/2020/03/direct-blue-toning.html).

[Vaughn]

Great images!

I have not seen the video yet, but I use to make iron blue toner (T-12) for our students occasionally. Pulled the formula out of Elementary Photographic Chemistry, Eastman Kodak Company, 1941 Edition. Ferric Ammonium citrate, Oxalic acid, and Potassium ferricyanide...4 grams each to make a liter (all mixed separately, then combined). Sweet, but there was not a lot of call for it.

Edited: Nice video!

I see that T-12 is about half-strength of marcookie's. For T-12, toning time is "10 to 15 minutes until the desired tone is obtained. Then wash until highlights are clear."

The bridge image is stellar...perfect toning.

[LabRat]

I like toning better than making cyanotypes, as you can still get a black Dmax if you pull print early...

Don't have the details handy now, but there is a variation where the print is dipped in a borax solution during toning to produce a colder steel blue/grey tone also...

Steve K

[Jimi]

Looks gorgeous! I have done cyanotypes (only trials as yet) on the Adox Baryta paper and they look rather similar to the full toning example.

[marcookie]

I like toning better than making cyanotypes, as you can still get a black Dmax if you pull print early...

Don't have the details handy now, but there is a variation where the print is dipped in a borax solution during toning to produce a colder steel blue/grey tone also...

Steve K

Washing in 0.1% borax will slowly fade the color to blue gray, and eventually revert the color back to pure silver (after very extended washing). If you attempt, make sure to thoroughly dissolve the borax; it takes a lot of time, and a single undissolved crystal will ruin the image (it happened)..

[esearing]

great work. Have you tried more diluted chemistry or changing the ratios to alter tone? And would bleaching after the toning still impact the highlight areas or does it alter the blue too?

[marcookie]

great work. Have you tried more diluted chemistry or changing the ratios to alter tone? And would bleaching after the toning still impact the highlight areas or does it alter the blue too?

I have tried the toner at about 50% once. It did not reach the full toning after several minutes, and seemed to have stopped.

I am not sure about bleaching.. it would for sure bleach any remaining silver metal, and I would bet it would alter the color as well. The blue toner appear to be really sensitive in several aspects: it gets weaker quickly, and the color can change simply by washing too long or washing with water at different pH levels. I would not be surprised if bleaching would alter the color.

[scheinfluger_77]

IIRC from Tim Rudman’s books bleaching will strip most direct toners off the print. So save the Iron Blue, Copper, etc. for the last step.

[bob carnie]

I have had untold failures and some success when I used Iron Blue Toner.... to the point that I moved to tricolour gum over palladium... the failures were too much for me to handle after printing, sepia, gold, selenium and then Iron Blue.. Drove me absolutely crazy.202477here is one example that worked for me I think.

[marcookie]

I have had untold failures and some success when I used Iron Blue Toner.... to the point that I moved to tricolour gum over palladium... the failures were too much for me to handle after printing, sepia, gold, selenium and then Iron Blue.. Drove me absolutely crazy.202477here is one example that worked for me I think.

I agree that it is a tough toner, especially to get reproducible results. I read in the book by Eddie Ephraums that he had to stick three prints side by side on a single sheet of plastic and soak them together, side by side, to get the same toning and washing.

[bob carnie]

I basically did this for about 4 -8 years on all my silver personal work, finally I had enough.. learned how to do tri colour gum overs and never looked back , but I have to admit that when they work on silver they are incredible.
I read Ephraums books cover to cover .. probably should go back and re read them.
I think I have two of them , one is called Gradient Light I believe. I learned most of my toning skills from his books.

[matthew klos]

Pretty interesting results! It makes me want to try it!

[marcookie]

I basically did this for about 4 -8 years on all my silver personal work, finally I had enough.. learned how to do tri colour gum overs and never looked back , but I have to admit that when they work on silver they are incredible.
I read Ephraums books cover to cover .. probably should go back and re read them.
I think I have two of them , one is called Gradient Light I believe. I learned most of my toning skills from his books.

I have only one of his books, Creative Elements. Just ordered a copy of Gradient Light, thanks for mentioning it!

[Vaughn]

The tone of the last image matches very well with its color shown in your video...very very cool.

[bob carnie]

I have only one of his books, Creative Elements. Just ordered a copy of Gradient Light, thanks for mentioning it!

Your welcome I also have Creative Elements...