Overall toning stain on print...

Last week, I had fixed a print in non hardening fixer, properly washed it for 1 hour and let it air dry. Before toning the print last night I gave the print a good soaking in fresh water and transfered the print into a fresh batch of fixer for two minutes. I then placed the print Kodak Rapid selenium 1-10 and pulled it out when I had the split I desired. Then it went into a fresh batch of hypo clear for a minute and washed. The problem I have is a slight overall darkening of the paper base - a cream color. The print now lacks the sparkle I was after. The other prints I toned did not have this problem. Any suggestions as to what may have happened and how it may be remedied?

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Thank you all.

Mark: If you've properly fixed the print the first time around, and

then washed it, try taking the washed print and toning it. In other

words, don't refix it before you go to the toner. If there is

residual fixer in the print when it goes into the toner it can cause

orange or cream colored staining.

I have always been told you can go straight into the selenium toner

from the fix. This has never worked for me. Now I go to the hypo

clear after the fix for 3 or 4 minutes and then rinse off each print

before going into the toner. After the toner they go back into water

and then back to the hypo clear for another 3 or 4 minutes and then

wash. I have no more staining problems.

I know there are many different schools of thought regarding the

toning process. Previously, I have had good results with simply

soaking a dry, properly fixed and washed print, in a plain water bath

prior to toning - followed by hypo clear and a wash.

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Perhaps I should clarify my question. Now that the print has this

overall stain, is there any way to clear it? Will a another, longer

bath of hypo clear help?

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I download this forum daily to my Palm and have read it in bed before

I konk out. This community has been a great source of inspiration

and learning along my LF journey. Thanks again.

Sorry Mark, I don't think there is any going back once you get the

staining you are talking about. I actually have a print that I had

the same problem with matted and hanging here in my office. It is

still a very nice print. I probably tend to tone longer than most so

the staining is not that unappealing to me (1:30 water and Kodak rapid

selenium for up to 10 minutes)