A useful summary of the main types of photographic printing techniques as described by ChatGPT.
1860s–1880s: The Wet and Dry Plate Era
- Collodion Wet Plate (1851–1880s)
- Required immediate development after exposure.
- Used for ambrotypes, tintypes, and glass negatives.
- Dominated professional photography before dry plates.
- Albumen Print (1850s–1890s)
- Most common paper-based print of the 19th century.
- Printed from wet-plate glass negatives.
- Characterized by a glossy surface and fine detail.
- Tintype (Ferrotype) (1850s–1930s, peak in 1860s–1870s)
- Direct positive on a thin metal plate (iron, not tin).
- Popular for quick, inexpensive portraits.
- Collodion Dry Plate (1860s–1880s)
- A brief transitional process between wet plates and gelatin dry plates.
- Allowed limited storage before exposure.
1880s–1920s: The Rise of Film and Commercial Photography
- Gelatin Dry Plate (1871–1920s)
- Replaced wet plates—could be stored and developed later.
- Enabled faster exposure times and handheld cameras.
- Used for early night photography and motion studies.
- Platinum Print (Platinotype) (1873–1920s, revival in later years)
- High tonal range and matte finish.
- Favored by fine art photographers.
- Gum Bichromate (1890s–1920s, revived later)
- Allowed for painterly, artistic effects.
- Popular with Pictorialists.
- Cyanotype (1842–1920s, mainly for blueprints and artistic use)
- Characterized by deep blue tones.
- Used for technical drawings and artistic prints.
- Autochrome (1903–1930s, first practical color process)
- Invented by the Lumière brothers.
- Used dyed potato starch grains to create soft, painterly colors.
1920s–1950s: The Evolution of Film and Color Photography
- Bromoil Print (1907–1950s, artistic use)
- Allowed selective manipulation of image tones.
- Used by Pictorialists for soft-focus effects.
- Kodachrome (1935–2009, peak in the 1940s–1950s)
- First widely available color reversal (slide) film.
- Popular for professional and consumer photography.
- Agfacolor (1936–1950s, rival to Kodachrome)
- Early color film alternative to Kodak’s process.
- Used extensively in European photography and cinema.
- Dye Transfer (1940s–1950s, high-end color process)
- Extremely high-quality color prints.
- Used for advertising and fine art photography.
- Polaroid Instant Film (1948–present, introduced by Edwin Land)
- Allowed instant image development.
- Popular for snapshots and professional use.
