I'm considering experimenting with toning, and am especially interested in selenium toning and split toning. I've been told that only fiber-based papers can be toned, yet I've also seen it written that some RC papers can take a toner. Which is true? Has anyone had any success toning RC papers? (If it matters, I don't develop my own film. Instead, I'll use a custom photo lab for now.)

Thanks!

-- Chris Rini (ckilling@ucla.edu), April 07, 2001

Answers

Sure RC papers can be toned. It is just that every paper reacts a bit differently. I suggest you find out on what paper your lab prints & then post again. That way we can give you specifics.

chris

ps. If you are using a lab, why not have them give you fiber prints?

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), April 07, 2001.

Chris, Variable contrast papers usually don't show much changes on selenium or gold toning, except warm tone emulsions and some specific brand like Forte, Bergger, etc. You can find those emulsions either on RC or fiber base. Much people prefer to use toning with fiber just considering the matter of permanence, wich isn't usually a great worry with RC. Good luck.

Cesar B.

-- Cesar Barreto (cesarb@infolink.com.br), April 07, 2001.

Chris

My expreriments have revealed the following

Ilford Multigrade IV - No colour shift in Selenium but some intensification with toner diluted 1:9 and print toned for 12 minutes. A little shift towards blue in gold toner after 20 minutes. A rich brown in Agfa Viradon polysulphide toner after 10 minutes. It is also receptive to Thiocarbamide toning.

Forte Polywarmtone RC: Very readily takes selenium turning a strong pink/red colour after less than 10 minutes. Good toning with Gold giving a slate blue after 10 minutes. Rich Browns with Agfa Viradon after 5 minutes.

Forte Polygrade: Purple brown in selenium after 15 minutes. No tests conducted with any other toner. This is a very nice paper which does not have any developers incorporated. It is very receptive to different developers and its very reasonably priced.

Ilford Multigrade IV warmtone RC - Quite receptive to selenium with a marked split tone (i.e. shadows and dark mid tones tone but highlights don't). Also tones to a rich brown in Viradon.

Ilford Multigrade IV Cooltone RC - another nice paper. Twice as fast as any other Ilford Multigrade paper that produces very nice blue blacks after development for 3 minutes. Not quite as responsive as Forte Polygrade and does not receive Selenium that readily. No other toning tests done.

Hope this information is helpful, email me if you have any other queries.

Adrian

-- Adrian Twiss (avtwiss@ukonline.co.uk), April 07, 2001.

Chris, Berg toners work especially well on RC papers or at least on the Ilford and Kodak RC papers I have used. There are a large number of variables that affect toning, so don't expect consistency. The use of a harding fixer inhibits toning, so you might check with your lab and see what they use.

-- Joe Miller (jmmiller@poka.com), April 08, 2001.

É claro que se pode fazer tonning com papéis RC! No meu caso pessoal, só trabalho com papéis RC e costumo fazer viragem a castanho. Tudo tem corrido bem! Penso que o Selénio não irá provocar uma viragem muito visível, apenas um aumento ligeiro dos contrastes, no entanto se a intenção da viragem é apenas conservar, é recomendável. Tente que vai ver os resultados! Um aviso: uma boa viragem exige uma atenção redobrada na lavagem das provas!

I'm sure you didn't understand nothing of what I've just explained, but at least one thing you can be sure: It's a good advice.

-- Carlos Monteiro (quenome@docaneco.com), May 30, 2001.