Re: Infrared-Digest V #114

["Amber" <ambersexton@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date sent:      	Thu, 25 Mar 1999 21:15:50 +0100 (MET)
From:           	owner-infrared-digest@xxxxx (Infrared-Digest)
To:             	infrared-digest@xxxxx
Subject:        	Infrared-Digest V #114
Send reply to:  	infrared@xxxxx
From:           	Infrared-Digest@xxxxx

> Hi out there in infrared land:
> 
> I am interested in trying selenium toning of my prints and have Kodak Rapid
> Selenium Toner available.   I read somewhere that this toner is extremely toxic
> and must be handled with extreme care.   Has anyone out there used this toner
> and can I get some feedback regarding safety precautions I should take.  I
> usually wear rubber gloves in the darkroom and try to use tongs to move my
> prints from one tray to the next.  As usual any help will be greatly
> appreciated!!
> 
> Kudos to all,
> 
> Larry M. (InfraVisions)
> 
> 

It is always advisable to use gloves when toning, most toning 
chemicals are more noxious and dangerous than the ordinary dev, 
stop, fix.  I recommend gloves, tongs and better than is usually 
necessary ventilation, I used to tone outdoors when I had a poorly 
ventilated darkroom.

Selenium toner is considered more dangerous than other toners. I 
was told (and I do not know if this is true, any scientists out there 
pipe in) that the reason it is very toxic is that it is easily absorbed 
by the skin and gets stored in the body, because selenium is a 
trace mineral that people need in small amounts.  So the body can 
be fooled and metabolize toxic amounts.


Some tips for a good outcome, make sure that your prints are very 
thouroughly washed.  I use a 20 min pre-wash, 10 minute perma 
wash and 40 minute final wash on prints to be toned.  Also use a 
fixer without any hardener in it, most fixers have the hardener 
included.  You may soak the prints in perma wash ( hypo clear, 
soduim sulfute) prior to printing and also mix the toner with a 
solution of perma wash instead of water to reduce the possibility of 
stains from spots of unwashed fixer.  I find that even with all of this 
I still sometimes get a few, but less if I use the perma wash pre 
soak.  Make many extra prints, make some 5-10% darker and %5-
10 lighter because toning effects the contrast and density (although 
selenium doesn't effect the highlight density as much as pottasium 
ferricyanide based toners do)  And enjoy, remember that you will 
get better color from selenium with papers that respond well to it, 
cold tone papers aren't known for their ability to show much color 
from seleniun.  Ilford multigrade will show only a contrast change, 
with almost no color difference. Warm toned paper is capable of 
split toning,  Also it is fun to combine the effects of several toners, 
selenium cools down sepia, brown and copper and warms up blue 
toning.  Poly toner is a toner that has brown, copper and selenium 
toner mixed together in the same bottle, many people hate it, but I 
think it can be used well. If you use multiple toning baths, 
remember to always do selenium toning last, because selenium 
binds with the silver and causes it to stop reacting with the other 
toners.

Happy toning
Amber
ambersexton@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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