Black and White Photography

12 Finishing the Print


 There are several ways in which you can change and improve the appearance of
a print after it has been washed and dried. Some of the options include changing
its overall color (toning); filling in dust, scratches, and other markings (spotting);
and displaying and protecting it with board (mounting and matting).
A toner is a chemical solution that changes the color of a black-and-white print.
Several types are available. A two-bath toner bleaches the image in one bath,
then redevelops it so it turns a different color in a second bath. A direct toner
changes the image color in a single bath.
Most toners turn a print’s blacks and grays to shades of brown, but others
produce shades of purple, blue, red, or other colors. Depending on how you use
toners, the results can vary from subtle to dramatic. And many toners also increase
print contrast and make prints more permanent—better able to resist
fading, staining, and other forms of physical deterioration over time.
Though you must handle each type of toner a little differently, there are a few
things to keep in mind regardless of the type you use. You should always start
with a wet, fully washed print. Either tone your prints right after they have been
washed, or soak dry prints in a tray of water for a few minutes before toning
them. You don’t have to tone prints right away; you can tone them anytime
after they are made, even years later.
You will need extra trays to hold the toning baths—one or more, depending
on the type of toner you use. If possible, use these trays for toning only, as
contamination with other chemicals may cause toned prints to stain. With a
waterproof marker, write the type of toner you use on the side of each toner
tray, and be sure to wash the trays thoroughly after each toning session.
Take every precaution to minimize your exposure to toning chemicals. Most
are at least somewhat toxic and many emit harmful and foul-smelling gases, so
set up in a well-ventilated darkroom, tone near an open window, or even work
outdoors. Wear an apron and rubber gloves when mixing toners, and use gloves
or tongs to handle prints when toning.

Some toners come packaged as liquids and some as powders. The liquids are
more convenient and safer to use. Kodak Sepia Toner, a classic two-bath toner,
comes in two packets (Parts A and B) of powder.
With most toners you will get different results with different applications.
Start with the instructions on the toner package and experiment from there for
best results. In general, the longer the toning time, the more dramatic the
results. Keep in mind that your choice of printing paper also has a significant
effect on the final results.
Sepia Toner
Sepia toner is used to produce a print with a moderate or strong warm-brown
color, depending on how you use it. It’s often packaged as a two-bath toner;
the first bath bleaches out most of the image and the second bath tones it—
redeveloping the silver particles as warm brown. Just before you’re ready to use
a two-bath sepia toner, make two separate solutions by mixing the two powders
with water according to the package instructions; Part A is the bleach and
Part B is the toner. Here are some general instructions:
1. Set up several trays of solution, one each for plain water presoak, bleach,
first water rinse, toner, and second water rinse.
2. Soak the print face down in the presoak for at least 1 minute, rocking the
tray gently. A wet print is more receptive to the bleach solution, and helps
make the toning more even. Use tongs to transfer the print from the
presoak to the bleach.
3. Place the print face down in the bleach (Part A) solution. Rock the tray
briefly and turn the print over so you can see it bleach (fade) out and turn
a slight yellow-brown. You can vary the bleaching time from 1 to 8 minutes
(or more). The amount of time the print stays in the bleach controls the final
results; the longer the print soaks in the bleach, the more sepia the results.
4. Rinse the bleached print for 2 minutes or so, until the rinse water is no
longer yellow. Any traces of the bleach can contaminate the next solution.
5. Soak the print in the toner (Part B), and watch it reappear and change
color. In 2 minutes or so, it will stop redeveloping, having reached its maximum
color change. Keep the print in the toner for the full 2 minutes. Don’t
try to vary toning time to control your results; vary the bleach time instead.
6. Rinse your print for 2 to 3 minutes to remove any traces of the toner.
7. Wash the print for 20–30 minutes. You don’t need a fixer remover.
8. Dry the print as you would normally.