This article appeared in the NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2001 issue of PT. To purchase this issue and receive this and other valuable articles in this issue, CLICK HERE: Ship within the U.S. | Ship outside the U.S.

Selenium Toning for Maximum Black
By Fred Newman

Most photographers don’t consider a print finished until it’s been toned, and selenium is the toner of popular choice. There are three reasons to selenium tone prints: it contributes to print permanence; it increases maximum black; and it shifts the image color toward a blue-black or purplish tone when desirable.

A comparison of a toned to an untoned print reveals an increase in depth and shadow richness, which becomes apparent as soon as you start to tone the paper. Some papers will show a slight color shift toward blue-black or purple as toning time increases. Extending the time (overtoning) reduces the maximum black, strengthens the image color and, with some papers, produces a split-tone effect with neutral light tones and brownish shadows.

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