The Platinum Printing Process

For people who collect photographs, platinum prints are known for their beauty, archival stability and unique, one-of-a-kind print statement. Known by the names of “platinotype”, “platinum/palladium” print and simply “platinum” print, each is made from the salts of platinum and palladium. Known for their costliness, platinum and palladium are part of the noble metals family on the Periodic Table and therefore are not subject to atmospheric degradation. The platinum salt emulsion actually becomes imbedded into the fiber of the paper so this means that as long as the paper support remains viable, the print will retain its appearance a hundred years into the future.

As with most historical photographic processes, a platinum print is made by placing the negative and emulsion-coated paper in direct contact. Therefore, the size of the print is equal to the size of the negative. This means that with the view cameras I use (5x7, 5x12, 8x10, 11x14) I make platinum prints in these sizes. I can also make larger prints by taking the original size negative and making an enlarged negative. Until recently I this using a two-step process used a graphics industry film to first create an enlarged positive. This enlarged positive was then used to make the enlarged negative. Unfortunately the film for this process is no longer available and I have had to adapt to a modern digital process for enlarged negatives. Nonetheless, making an enlarged negative to work from involves hours of time, effort and materials, whether it is prepared digitally or from the now extant film based process.

You will note that a platinum print has a different “look” from a silver gelatin or digital print. All platinum prints have a matte texture, not glossy surface, because the emulsion is absorbed into the paper rather than sitting on the surface. The platinum process produces a more gradual change from black to white along its tonal range. To the eye accustomed to the punch of a silver gelatin print, a platinum print will often feel “softer” or lower in contrast. Although in comparison to a silver gelatin print the blacks will not be as black and the whites will appear no whiter than the color of the base paper, in reality there are actually more steps between pure black and pure white of a platinum print. This contributes to the deeper, richer feeling you experience when looking at a platinum print.

My platinum prints are made with hand-mixed and hand-coated emulsions. The emulsions are mixed just prior to use, coated on the paper with a brush, and dried. Once dry, a negative is placed in direct contact with the paper, and then exposed to “actinic” or ultraviolet light. Exposure to the light source takes a few minutes to an hour or more, depending on the density and contrast of the negative.

The image tone of a platinum print can vary widely in color. Platinum/palladium prints can range from a cool, slightly purple black to split tones of brown and warm black, to a very warm brown. The proportions of platinum to palladium in the emulsion, choice of developers and the temperature of the developer control the final color.

Because these emulsions are mixed and coated by hand no two prints are exactly alike. I like to think of them as “monotype” prints from the same negative. Some practitioners of these historic processes leave brush strokes plainly visible. My goal is to make prints as smooth as possible, but occasionally brush strokes can be seen in some of the prints. They should be seen as the marks of the artist.

Tillman Crane
February 2010