STAINING No matter how careful the operator may be in making the original nega tive and probably has done all Ile could in intensifying and reducing, there will be cases of negatives that are too thin in some one place or maybe several small places. This is something that frequently occurs and creates quite a little trouble in the printing-room. The time to correct it is on the negative before it goes to the printing-room and is usually done by what is known as staining, which, in this case, means to apply a stain of some kind or other to the .weak portion of the neg-ative. A good stain to use is what is known as Velox water colors. These can he purchased at any photo supply store and are used ordinarily for coloring amateur prints. The two colors most used by commercial photographers for staining are brilliant red and light yellow. There is another color used considerably, known as turkey red, a dye obtain able at the drug stores. The brilliant and turkey reds are used to hold back extra thin places and the light yellow to hold back the medium places.
The method of applying these colors is to make a weak solution of the desired color and then moisten that portion of the negative to which the stain is to be applied with a little saliva. Then go over it with the color on a brush,
and as soon as the color is applied all over, blot it off with a clean, dry blotter, and, if more density of color is needed, apply another coat. It is better to use several applications of a weak color than one application of a strong color, as you have more control.
While it would seem that the red would be too strong, that is, make the print come white at the point the red is applied, such is not the case if you use the colors mentioned, that is, brilliant or turkey red.
The minute any yellow is added to these colors, you have almost an opaque color as far as printing quality is concerned.
This staining is really a wonderful help and is a very old stunt, used for years among the old-time commercial photographers and is still much used. It, like many other stunts in photography, requires a little practice and dex terity in making the application.
If you get on too much coloring, the negative can be put back in the wash ing box and the color entirely washed out, if the brands of colors mentioned are used.