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View Full Version : Coffee, Tea, and Reed Dyes As Toners



jnantz
12-Jan-2002, 17:01
i was wondering if others have used coffee, tea and reed dyes as toners? can anyone tell me about how using this kind of toner effects the archival-ness of fiber prints? i have some images that i toned with tea and others with reed dye 15 years ago, and they still seem fine. i would rather use "natural dyes" than nasty chemicals.

thanks

Chad Jarvis
12-Jan-2002, 17:30
I know for certain that Sally Mann has experimented thoroughly with coffee and tea for toning and claims that they have proven to be archival in her experience.

Pat Kearns
14-Jan-2002, 15:08
I used coffee on fiberbase paper over 25 years ago and haven't seen any damage yet. The aroma of coffee sure beats the stink of sepia toner.

Scott Hamming
14-Jan-2002, 16:20
I can't speak to the archival quality of coffee, though I recently tried espresso (some year old stuff in the freezer) on Ilford Multigrade IV and was not impressed with any of the "toning" times I used. Might be worth experimenting with some of the Berg colors, however.