Silver Gelatin

[rogueish]

I have seen many ads for prints on silver gelatin. What is this silver gelatin? Is it a type of FB or RC paper? A homebrew? Is it the liquid emulsion you can buy in a bottle? Are there any qualities that would make it more desireable over FB paper?

 

[AndrewH]

silver gelatin is simply a fancy term for traditional black and white. Traditional black and white uses silver suspended in gelatin for its emulsion. It has become more a trend to call traditional prints "silver gelatin" with the advent of color-based black and white (aka chromogenic) and digital prints. It simply points out that it is a traditional black and white print.

 

[rogueish]

figures... :rolleyes:
Guess that means I too have fancy traditional silver gelatin prints. Looks like the price just went up. I'll have to find a more suitable mono-sylable name for my self, and start wearing a berrett...
Thanks

 

[L Gebhardt]

In addition to what Andrew has correctly stated - either RC or FB prints can be called Silver Gelatin. Usually what is labled Silver Gelatin is fiber based, but that is more because prints intened for sale are usually fiber based and only prints for sale tend to describe the print type.

 

[Flotsam]

We could call them Silver Jello prints.
Sounds less elitist

 

[lee]

It is a term that museums and galleries like to use to describe the process the photographer used to create the image on paper. Carbon Platinum/Palladium Silver Gelatin are all photographic prints. This nomenclature just defines the work more precisely. If you want to think of it as a snooty or elite term so be it, but it is at least accurate.

lee\c

 

[rogueish]

This nomenclature just defines the work more precisely. If you want to think of it as a snooty or elite term so be it, but it is at least accurate.
lee\c

Sorry Lee I didn't mean to sound that way. just trying for a little humour. One of the first places I saw a Silver Jello Print, I mean silver gelatin (thanks a lot Flotsam!) was at a upper crust high society gallery showing and the artist wore elaborate outfit, hugh glasses and a pink berrett. Don't know if he was showing the work or himself? Both I guess. Looked straight out of a bad sterotype hollywood movie. Some of the work was ok (IMHO) but most of it I didn't like. I have seen the term used several times since and most of the work was very good (again IMHO). Thanks all for clearing that up, thought I was missing something.
If I ever end up in a gallery or museum, I'll make sure to use the corrct term.

So would "silver gelatin" be a term like "calliotype" or "cyantype"?

 

[ann]

yes, silver gelatin is a term , as is cyanotype, gum print, salt print, etc. it just describes the type.

 

[lee]

Sorry Lee I didn't mean to sound that way. just trying for a little humour

no problem just wanted to clarify the terminogy.

lee\c