Bellini VIR Blue is a blue toner for black and white prints, made in Italy.
What it is for
Blue is the furthest a print can travel from neutral, and it reads most strongly in night and winter subjects. Beyond colour it changes the image itself: the maker states that blue-toned prints carry higher density and contrast than untoned ones, with a greater maximum density. The picture becomes not just blue but more emphatic.
How to dilute it
Storage
Sealed concentrate keeps well but dislikes air: the emptier the bottle, the faster it oxidises. Decant the remainder into a smaller bottle, or displace the air — that is what gets a concentrate to its last measure.
How it compares
The mood opposite of sepia: that warms, this cools. Selenium is more archival and more discreet; a blue toner is bought precisely for a visible effect.
