# need help with alternative developing



## Ima Gitcha (Sep 15, 2006)

I have experimented with coffee and developing a print. Basically after teh wash bath letting prints sit in black coffee for hours to get an aged look and feel. At this time i am playing around with photograms and would like to experiment with color via  food coloring. Any suggestions, hints or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Ima


----------



## mysteryscribe (Sep 15, 2006)

I dont have a clue but I have thought about using different dyes myself. Haven't tried it yet though. I was thinking easter egg dye. They have little formulas for just about any color. I have no idea if it would work or not.  Might could even dye your stop bath with that stuff.  They used vinigar once as a base for easter egg dye.


----------



## JamesD (Sep 15, 2006)

Are you developing the prints in Coffee?  (Don't laugh folks, "Caffenol" has been a "home-brew" film developer for years.)  Or are you trying to stain them with a good soak?

If you're trying to change the color, you can use toners, which are relatively inexpensive, in addition to being fast and effective.  Berg makes a line of just about every color you could want, and you can even split tone.  There are also the more traditional sepia, selenium, and gold toners, among others.


----------



## terri (Sep 15, 2006)

Welcome to the forum! 

Yes, I'm not clear on what you're doing, either. You developed in coffee (as James described) or you "toned" in coffee?

You can certainly get a color shift with coffee, or tea, the strength of the brew and the type of paper, type fixer, etc, will all come into play. It's not toning so much as it is dyeing. You can still mask off areas where you want no color shift, as with regular toning; it's fun. You can get a lovely shade of sepia.

I've only done a little bit of dyeing in this manner, using organic materials. Unlike so many toners, it does little to enhance the archival qualities of the print, so I'm too chicken to spend a lot of time on that. Still - they can look awesome. 

I'd love to see your work! Can you scan it and show it to us here?


----------



## zombiekilla (Sep 16, 2006)

terri said:
			
		

> I've only done a little bit of dyeing in this manner, using organic materials. Unlike so many toners, it does little to enhance the archival qualities of the print, so I'm too chicken to spend a lot of time on that. Still - they can look awesome.


Id love to hear more about this! How and what types of paper?


----------



## Ima Gitcha (Sep 16, 2006)

i apologize i meant I have toned photographs.





digitally colored 






coffee toned


----------



## mysteryscribe (Sep 16, 2006)

neat, what kind of paper how long did you tone it.


----------



## Ima Gitcha (Sep 16, 2006)

dont laugh chick fil a black coffee for about an hour on Ilford mutigrade matte finish.


----------



## mysteryscribe (Sep 16, 2006)

wonder how it does on rc...


----------



## terri (Sep 17, 2006)

zombiekilla3k said:
			
		

> Id love to hear more about this! How and what types of paper?


I brewed regular strength coffee, let it cool, and poured it into an 8x10 tray. I had Agfa MC 118 paper, a FB paper, but, as Ima Gitcha says, Ilford will work - pretty much any regular photographic paper that takes well to toning will take well to dyeing. 

Charlie, you'll see varying results, I'd guess, between FB and RC, as with toner, but no reason it won't take just as nicely. And you can do it by eye, pull it out and inspect it at 5-10 minute intervals till you get the shade you want. 

This is the only print I have scanned where I did this. It started as a straight bromoil print that I decided to add color to. I dyed it with coffee as above and, once dried, added some chalks. I masked the letters and when I peeled the mask, all the lith inks pulled off, too, leaving the letters very stark white. 








Ima Gitcha - that second image is gorgeous! I might save the time of brewing next time and just buy a few cups like that, too. Very nice print!


----------



## mysteryscribe (Sep 17, 2006)

thanks terry I just finished some daylight contact prints Im just playing with them I think I'll soak them and see what happens...  They are on arista rc


----------



## mysteryscribe (Sep 17, 2006)

I painted on this by hand (watercolor)  then decided it looked better as a negative.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




If you want to see how it looked take it to you editor and reverse the colors.


----------



## terri (Sep 18, 2006)

mysteryscribe said:
			
		

> I painted on this by hand (watercolor) then decided it looked better as a negative.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nope, I like the reversal here just fine.   

Did you mean to post this in this thread, Charlie?


----------



## Ima Gitcha (Sep 22, 2006)

terri-- thanks....  did some alternative developing on my photograms this week and got this.... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



 ( its a cap gun... NOWORRIES)


----------



## mysteryscribe (Sep 22, 2006)

A.  I like the last two for the subject matter so there is no cop?

B. Yes terri we were talking about coffee tints.  I wasn't trying to hijack the thread.


----------



## terri (Sep 22, 2006)

Interesting stuff!  What processing did you use here on the photograms? 



(No worries, Charlie, I think we were both in danger of hijacking the thread!)


----------



## Ima Gitcha (Sep 23, 2006)

um i placed developer in a spray bottle sprayed the print waited a minute or so.... dropped into developer bath but the book said go straight to fixer, with a regular print i probaly would but with the photograms was looking for more tones intead of a flat black.

So spary developer with water bottle
drop into developer for additional moments( i used my judgement)
and then proceed as normal!


----------



## geoffe (Nov 14, 2006)

I have done the coffee and tea dyes for toning prints but you know what works really great for coloring...Kool Aid.  Just empty a pack into your toner or emulsion, works great for gum prints.


----------



## terri (Nov 14, 2006)

geoffe said:
			
		

> I have done the coffee and tea dyes for toning prints but you know what works really great for coloring...Kool Aid. Just empty a pack into your toner or emulsion, works great for gum prints.


I've never thought of using Kool Aid. That cracks me up!


----------



## windrivermaiden (Nov 14, 2006)

hey, does the koolaide smell nice aftewards? it is a swell dye for lots of things but, I never thought to add it to my gum prints...Maybe for my childhood series! that's a concept. No coffee toneing for me...I'm going to keep that precious nectar to fuel my self!


----------



## geoffe (Nov 14, 2006)

Koolaid works wonders.  I would be interested in seeing how they come out when you try them.


----------

