Sepia paper toner

Description

Classic sulphide toning in two steps: the bleach turns the silver back to a halide, the toner turns it into silver sulphide. The same warm brown as prints a century old, and the same archival stability.

How the process runs

The bleach first converts the image back to silver halide and the print fades almost to nothing. In the toner bath it reappears, now as silver sulphide: a warm brown that resists oxidation. This is not a dye laid over the image — it replaces the substance of the image itself.

What you control

How far you bleach decides how much stays cold: a partial bleach gives a split-toned print with warm highlights and neutral shadows. It is the commonest creative use of sepia, and it needs a test on every new paper.

Questions and answers

Why does the print fade in the first bath?

It should. The silver has become a halide, which is almost invisible. The image returns in the toner.