what is the difference between gelatin silver prints and regular prints? i tend to notice at galleries and museums many prints are gelatin silver prints. is it better paper? process? what's the deal with this type of print? what are advantages or disadvantages? thanks

-- (moschika@yahoo.com), August 12, 1998

Answers

It is just a way to distinguish between platinum/palladium, cyanotype, coffee ground and beer, etc., and regular photographic prints.

If you by it at a camera store, it is almost certainly a gelatin silver emulsion, all of the others come from specialty houses. In some areas it is a question of snob appeal, "My prints are made on 100% Peruvian llamma wool parchment with a salt and pepper emulsion" sniff, sniff. If you want to get more for something, make it sound exotic.

I will asmit that I have seen some well done platinum contact prints, 5X7's in an interesting series, that will knock your socks off. They have a depth and feel that is hard to duplicate in silver, so it isn't ALL marketing.

-- Marv Thompson (mthompson@clinton.net), August 12, 1998.

Re: Gelatin Silver Prints

There are plenty of alternatives to gelatin silver (or, silver gelatin as the Brits call it) in addition to Platinum/Paladium. i.e. the pigment prints such as carbon, gum bichromate and bromoil. Then there are cyanotypes, salt prints, etc. - and now digital. The term gelatin silver is often very useful in spelling out that this is a print made from silver halides.

-- Gene Laughter (genealt@aol.com), August 15, 1998.