Coffee is great. I like coffee. A lot.
However, some overly concerned dentists suggest that you should probably drink coffee through a straw because, apparently, it can turn your teeth yellow. So, hear me out- if that delicious elixir can stain your chompers, it can probably do a good job staining other stuff, too. Like darkroom prints!
But why would we do that? Well, tinting your darkroom prints can make them ‘pop’ more, while also creating a pleasing vintage look. It’s worth mentioning that there are a bunch of ways to tint darkroom papers, but compared to toning prints with chemicals, coffee is safe to handle, super cheap, and easily available.
In this article, I’d like to share my process of toning with coffee and how I go about finding the correct times for repeatable color consistency. This is pretty useful when you’re toning a batch of prints at once and need everything to match. This is by no means a definitive guide or maybe even the best process, but it’s how I’ve done it in the past, and it’s worked for me.
It’s worth noting that different types and thicknesses of paper will react differently. The times I’m sharing are related to the specific paper that I’m using, which is Ilford Multigrade RC Pearl Portfolio paper. I like Ilford RC Portfolio because it’s a heavyweight 255 gsm paper that reduces curling, is easy to work with, and has a nice satin finish.
Getting Set Up
Whenever I’m printing in the darkroom, I set aside the misprints to use as tests when toning. I’m not saying that you would ever make misprints, *ahem* but… it’s always nice to have a stack of paper to experiment with first so you’re not taking a gamble on your best work.
My setup is pretty straightforward. I use three trays- one filled with water for a pre-soak, the second for the coffee, and a third tray for a water rinse. For small prints, I’ll usually use 8×10 trays with about 500ml of water for both the pre-soak and rinse trays, and I’ll brew 4-6 cups for the coffee tray.
Once your trays are filled and ready to go, I usually take a few of the misprints and write on them with a permanent marker to note different times that I want to try. Typically, I’ll test out 1 minute, 2 minutes, and 5 minutes. From there it will give me a good idea of a starting point.
Toning the Prints
- Pre-soak for 2 minutes
- Submerge fully in coffee for 1:30
- Dip and momentarily agitate in the rinse water
- On a flat surface and use a squeegee to remove excess water
- Place somewhere flat, face up, to dry (I use stainless cookie racks)
Since I like my prints to have a lighter color, I use the toning time of 1:30 as a starting point. If the color isn’t dark enough, just throw it back in the coffee for an additional 30 seconds, rinse, squeegee, and re-evaluate. You can always go darker and re-tone as many times as you need until you’re happy with the color.
The reason that I pre-soak the print before toning is that I’ve done a few tests and found that pre-soaking can reduce some blotchiness of the coffee. This only needs to be done at the very beginning, but not again if re-submerging in the coffee to deepen the tint.
This is the process and times that I’ve found deliver the light yellowish tint that I prefer. Coffee can turn a print nearly brown if you let it soak long enough, so start here and adjust to your own taste.
Random Tidbits
- Let your test prints dry before judging the color. A wet print can look more vibrant than a dry one.
- Make sure all corners are fully submerged in the liquids at all times. It seems obvious, but you will get uneven color otherwise.
- When drying, make sure there are no pooling areas of water on the print. The squeegee helps a lot with this.
- Some people hang up their prints to dry, but I’ve found the color can run to the bottom, so I lay them flat.
- The strength of the coffee will affect the color, so I try to be consistent in measuring out 1 tablespoon per cup when I’m brewing.
- Coffee is a non-archival toner, and the acidic nature of coffee can even promote further paper yellowing over time.
And finally, when the prints are dry, check on the back because you may have some streaking or light staining. This can usually be removed with a damp cloth and water.
And that’s it! Easy-peasy. Vintage style à la Folgers!
Handmade prints and experimental films:
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