Using brown toner - unexpected results

[Marco B]

I'm curious.... what kind of process creates classic, traditional, and old-time look that sepia is often associated with? What I have is not that. It's brown but it doesn't have that quaint feel that I was after.

There are many historic processes creating "brown colored" prints, not necessarily associated with any toner at all, but just the result of the process itself, like salt prints, albumen, Pt/Pd prints etc. These prints could receive a toning as well, to enhance permanence, but may originally have a clear brown town in their untoned state.

It is therefore difficult to answer your question, as there are to many options.

Anyway, using Ilford MGWT with its pronounced color shifts in toners, is more likely to get you in the ball park of an "old-time look"...

[tkamiya]

OK, the print is dry and pressed. Here's my final thought on brown toner and what it did on MGIV FB Neutral Paper.

The tone shifted to brown but dark brown. Compared side-by-side with Sepia toned print, brown has less red in it. Degree of brownness is that if I am looking at this print right next to un-toned print, brown is obvious; however, by itself, not so much so.

What's surprising is that highlight lightened up quite a bit while shadow didn't change that much. Mid-tone shifted a little. As a result, the contrast is significantly higher than un-toned or sepia toned print. I'd say about 1/3 contrast grade difference. The brown toned print picked up quite a bit of "brilliance" or "pop". (it just doesn't look all that brown).

I like it but not because of brown tone....

[mike c]

I'v been using brown toner on MGW fiber base with a more lower temp, around 70 to 75 deg. f. with good results.