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Photographic printing is the process of producing a final image on paper for viewing, usingchemically sensitized paper. The paper is exposed to a photographicnegative, a positivetransparency (orslide), or adigital image file projected using anenlarger or digital exposure unit such as aLightJet orMinilab printer. Alternatively, the negative or transparency may be placed atop the paper and directly exposed, creating acontact print. Digital photographs are commonly printed on plain paper, for example by acolor printer, but this is not considered "photographic printing".[1]
Following exposure, the paper isprocessed to reveal and make permanent thelatent image.
The process consists of four major steps, performed in a photographicdarkroom or within an automated photo printing machine. These steps are:
Optionally, after fixing, the print is treated with ahypo clearing agent to ensure complete removal of the fixer, which would otherwise compromise the long term stability of the image. Prints can be chemically toned orhand coloured after processing.[2]
Kodak Panalure is apanchromaticblack-and-white photographic printing paper. Panalure was developed to facilitate the printing of full-tone black-and-white images from colournegatives – a difficult task with conventionalorthochromatic papers due to the orange tint of the film base. Panalure also finds application as paper negatives inlarge format cameras. It is generally not suitable for conventional black-and-white printing, since it must be handled and developed in near-complete darkness.
Kodak has announced that it will no longer produce or sell this product.[when?] However, as of 2006[update], it is still available from various online retailers.
Silver mirroring, or "silvering", is a degradation process of old black-and white-photographic prints caused by conversion of the blacksilver oxide to silver metal. This results in a slightly bluish, reflective patch in the darkest part of a print or negative when examined in raking light. It often indicates improper storage of the prints.[3]
For more info see also:Chromogenic print
Colour papers require specific chemical processing in proprietary chemicals. Today's processes are calledRA-4, which is for printing colour negatives, andIlfochrome, for colour transparencies.
At the high end of the market, the output from color inkjet printers can now give you almost the same results as the traditional photographic printing process that involves color separations.