SamuliSchielke
Does anyone know what causes clouding in the mid-tones when using gold toner? After drying, the mid-tones appear patchy: partly silver-grey, partly gold-red. I’ve encountered this problem with two different papers (Polywarmton and Fomatone) and two different developers. I suspect the cause is poor washing or insufficient fixing after toning. However, the wrong toner temperature (no tray warmer = temperature fluctuates) could also be a factor. Gold toner is too expensive to waste on too many experiments, so I would be grateful for any advice.
Samuli
MirkoBoeddecker
Hi Samuli,
You definitely need to choose carefully.
It’s best to use something like Lavaquick.
This applies to any toning – selenium, gold, etc.
And, of course, you must have fixed the film properly – the toner will develop the undeveloped but unfixed residual silver.
Best regards,
Mirko
SamuliSchielke
It’s reassuring to hear that it has nothing to do with the temperature. It’s easy enough to secure them more firmly and water them.
Thanks for the advice,
Samuli
skahde
Thorough fixing and rinsing are essential for a successful gold toning. If that isn’t enough, here are two more questions:
Is that the Tetenal gold toner? Do you also use sulphur toners? If you’ve ticked both boxes, make sure you clean your trays and measuring cups really thoroughly. Invisible traces of sulphur toner on prints result in lovely red spots in the gold toner. I used to be a bit too careless about this, but I’ve learnt my lesson now. You don’t want to sign every photo with a red thumbprint, do you? ;)
Best regards, Stefan
SamuliSchielke
No, it’s the MT6 by Wolfgang Moersch. It’s lovely, but it takes a bit of practice. Thanks to your advice, I’ve now found the cause of the problem. After toning, a thin layer of sediment sometimes remains in places on the emulsion, with the result that those areas don’t fix properly and the toner continues to develop, leading to the formation of spots. Rinsing thoroughly in between and keeping a close eye on it during fixing (you can see the sediment spots because they glow differently from the emulsion) solves the problem. And rinsing with Lavaquick in between (thanks also for the tip; it saves a lot of time and hassle when you don’t have a washing machine and have to rinse large prints individually).
