C-Type Otherwise known as
a Chromogenic Colour or Colour Coupler print, C-Type is the generic
name for a modern colour print. Colour sensitive layers of emulsion
on the paper respond to the colour information in the negative when
light is shone through it. After the initial development, chemical
compounds called dye couplers are added to form a layer of hues that
produce the full colour image. Digital
C-Type / Lambda / Lightjet The Lambda, or Lightjet,
is a C-type printed from a digital image file (captured digitally
or scanned from a print or film). The image is projected onto light
sensitive paper using sophisticated laser technology. Inkjet
or Giclée Print Inkjet prints, also know as
Giclée prints, are produced from a digital image file by a
computer driven printer that _sprays minute droplets of ink onto paper.
The term ‘inkjet’ covers everything from cheap throwaway
prints to exquisite works printed on fine paper. The development of
stable, archival inks and dedicated papers is ensuring the popularity
of these prints. Editions An
edition is a predetermined number of prints at a specific size from
a single image. An edition print should be of exhibition quality and
will be individually numbered (e.g. 5/10), signed and dated, either
on the print itself or on an accompanying certificate. Often an ‘Artist
Proof’ will exist separate to the edition and is usually the
first or last to be printed. Editioning is more common among contemporary
photographers and gives the collector an assurance _of authenticity.
Gelatin Silver Print Known as the most
common form of black and white printing. Photosensitive particles
called silver halides are suspended in a thin layer of gelatin on
paper. When the paper is exposed and processed, the particles react
and change according to the concentration and brilliance of the light.Platinum
Print A form of black and white printing that
uses platinum instead of silver salts. Platinum is reduced from light
sensitive iron salts to form an image as platinum particles become
embedded in the paper. Known for their wide range of subtle tonal
variations and fine grain, platinum prints have a significantly longer
life expectancy than silver prints. Palladium is often used as an
alternative to platinum, giving similar results. Polaroid
Polaroid is film that develops moments after exposure giving an instant
positive or negative print that is completely unique. Polaroid has
many creative possibilities. Artists experiment with emulsion lifts
and image transfer. Emulsions lifts involve soaking the Polaroid in
hot water and separating the emulsion from the photographic _paper.
The emulsion can then be shaped or stretched onto a new piece of paper
and worked into using paint and other media. Image transfer is where
the Polaroid is prematurely peeled and then placed against a new receptor
paper to develop normally.