The DARKROOM COOKBOOK, Third Edition

78 THE DARKROOM COOKBOOK
IMAGE COLOR: PRINT TONE VERSUS TINT
The image tone, or color, of a print, though it may be subtle, strongly affects the viewer’s
response to an image. Warm tones tend to engage viewers emotionally, drawing them into the
image. Neutral and cold tones tend to create an emotional distance, a sense of looking at the
image from the outside. Although there are no rules but your own (which should not be etched
in stone), portraits, still life, and nostalgic images (for example, old barns, dusty highways) often
appear most pleasing when rendered in a warm tone. Landscapes, abstracts, and modern architecture
lend themselves to neutral and cold tones, or at least this is the way in which we have
become accustomed to viewing them. Learning to manipulate and control the image tone of a
print opens new vistas and ways to communicate a photographer’s vision.
Changes and variations in image tone may not always be as glaringly apparent. Often the
difference is subtle, so much so that someone viewing a print might not even be aware that
it is neutral, cool, or warm, unless the fact is drawn to their attention, or they see an example
of each, side-by-side. The simplest test to determine whether or not a paper is cold-, warm-, or
neutral-toned, is to develop it for two minutes in a neutral tone developer such as D-72 and
compare it to other papers developed similarly. If a paper is warm- or cold-toned the color
can be seen in the shadows.
When discussing the image tone of paper, it is important to note the difference between
tone and tint. Image tone is initially determined by varying the amounts of chloride and bromide
in the paper’s emulsion during manufacture; the more chloride in the mix, the warmer
the tone and the slower the paper speed. The tint of a paper is determined by the color of
the paper base. A paper may have a base color which is brilliant white, cream, ivory, or some
other variation of off-white. Although warm-tone papers can be coated on a brilliant white
base, most warm-tone papers made today have a tint to their base. This allows the manufacturer
to use less chloride, thereby increasing paper speed, and still produce a warm-tone
paper, even though it is the tint, and not the image tone which we see. To determine if a
paper has a warm tint study the highlights. If they are off-white the paper has a tint.
Manipulating Paper Tones
Paper, like fi lm, has grain, though unlike fi lm, paper grain is not visible to the eye. Paper grains
start out very small but become larger as development proceeds. When the grain fi rst starts to
develop it is yellow in color, and then turns reddish, then brown, and with full development it
becomes black.
This information can be quite useful. For example, giving a print more than the usual
exposure and developing it for less than the normal time, say 45 seconds to 1 minute, will
often enhance warm tones, especially with chlorobromide papers. Using a warm-tone
chlorobromide paper and developer combination will further heighten this effect. With
bromide papers the results may be less than satisfactory as the color may be “muddy” olive
depending on the paper.
Also, when a developer nears exhaustion it is unable to fully reduce the silver halide in
the emulsion. As a result, the print may appear to be red or brown, as it cannot develop all
the way to black. Because of this it is often possible to add as much as 50% used developer