Sepia toner: altering color

[Mark Sawyer]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a way to alter the color of a sulphide-based sepia toner away from the "chocolate" brown towards a more "straw/yellow/golden" brown?

(note: I've tried the Fotospeed thiocarbamide-based variable toner, and though I liked the color, it was prone to staining and silver-migration.)

Thank you!

[Alan Rabe]

I have not heard of a yellowish brown but this link is for a process that supposedly produces browns instead of deap purples. It uses powders you have to mix yourself so be careful. Powdered Selenium is bodaciously dangerous.
http://www.jackspcs.com/t56.htm

[robc]

if you haven't already got one then get yourself a copy of "The master photographers toning Book" by Tim Rudman.

[Scott Whitford]

Mark,

It just so happens I did this last night quite by accident.

I was messing around while toning some prints and got the results you are seeking.

Here are the details:

Paper was MC111, developed in Ansco 130 1+1.

I made a bleach as follows:

1 liter water
5 teaspoons Pot ferri
1 teaspoon Pot Bromide
2 teaspoons Sodium Carbonate

I bleached the print until the darkest values were just visible.

Then washed the print for ~15 minutes.

Then redeveloped using Kodak Brown toner at 1+30.

Definitely yellow/straw colored. I should have either started with a denser print or bleached less, because the final print was too light. You might have to mess around some to dial in the process, but it's worth a try. I think it'll do what you're looking for.

Scott

[Mark Sawyer]

Rob~ Yes, I have a copy of Rudman's book, and it has some good info on modifying the thiocarbamide sepia toners, but not the sulphide sepia toners. I've hade bad luck with thiocarbamide toners causing silver migration in the past...


Scott ~ Thanks, I'll try this on some existing prints done with Ilford papers and see what it does. I've never heard of using brown toner instead of the sepia toner after bleaching...

Alan ~ Getting browns is no problem; I'm just looking for the "golden" brown instead of the usual "chocolate" brown. Thanks for the link, but I think I'll avoid the powdered selenium. I've pushed my luck enough in the past with powdered mercury and uranium compounds...

[Mark Sampson]

Nelson Gold Toner? It's worked for me.