SULPHIDE SEPIA TONER

Bleaching solution A1
Chemicals Quantity Unit
Water 50 °C (125 F) 500 ml
Potassium Ferricyanide (Anhydrous) 37 g
Potassium bromide (Anhydrous) 37 g
Potassium oxalate 97 g
Acetic acid 28 % 60 g
Water to make 1 l

 

 

Bleaching solution A2
Chemicals Quantity Unit
Water for 1000 ml
Potassium Ferricyanide (Anhydrous) 30 g
Potassium bromide (Anhydrous) 12 g
Sodium carbonate (Anhydrous) 15 g

 

 

Toning solution B
Chemicals Quantity Unit
Water 500 ml
Sodium sulphide 50 g

The prints must be perfectly fixed before otherwise whites will not remain perfectly white.

Use bleaching bath A1 with 1+1 dilution or A2 as it

Let your print in the bleach solution until the image changed into a faint yellow brownish image (about 1 mn)

Mind not to use any iron instruments it could form blue spots on the prints.

Wash the prints 5 mn (or less with RC papers) to remove the yellowish color

Use the toning solution 1 part + 9 of water

"Develop" in the toning solution and wash.

 

DYE TONING

Discovered by A.TRAUBE in 1906

Replace the metallic silver image by a colored dye or any mixture of dyes (so any color is possible)

Dyes which can be used are only basic dyes

 

This kind of formulae was published in British Journal and Almanach for 1927

Mordanting solution M1
Chemicals Quantity Unit
Water for 1000 ml
Cupric sulphate 20 to 40 g
Potassium citrate tribasic 60 to 100 g
Acetic acid (glacial) 30 ml
Ammonium or potassium sulphocyanide 20 g

 

Published in British periodicals Ltd by Dr B.T.J. Glover

Mordanting solution M2
Chemicals Quantity Unit
  1000 ml
Oxalic acid (1) 4 g
Uranium nitrate (2) 8 g
Potassium ferricyanide (3) 4 ml
Dissolve separately in 250 ml of water each chemical and mix (1) + (2) + (3)

It should result in a pale yellow color solution

store in a light free place as it is light sensitive

   

1) Use of this mordanting solution for 1 to 15 mn

2) Wash until white parts are color free.

3) Treat with the dye solution

4) Wash

 

 

 

Dye solution
Chemicals Quantity Unit
Distilled water for 1000 ml
Dye 0.02 % to 0,2 % g
Acetone 100 ml
Potassium ferricyanide 1 g
Acetic acid (glacial) 5 ml

The dye should not be too concentrated with some dyes as it could be difficult to remove from the white parts.

(c) John ANDERSON 1998