CHAPTER XVII. 

 PRINTING ON ALBUMENIZED PAPER. 



THIS process is the one most commonly used by photogra- 

 phers for producing their prints in the ordinary course of 

 work ; for our purpose it is well adapted, as it lends itself to 

 the rendering of fine details in a fairly satisfactory manner ; 

 the image is not lost and made granular by being deposited in 

 the texture of the paper as in some other processes ; but the 

 very finest details either in shadows or in high lights are apt 

 to be lost in the operations of " toning " and " fixing," how- 

 ever carefully these operations may be performed. Shadow 

 details are greatly emphasized and generally improved by the 

 process of enamelling, to which we shall call attention at the 

 end of this chapter. 



Paper of special quality is coated by special machinery with 

 albumen containing a certain amount of chloride, usually am- 

 monic or sodic. This is floated upon a solution of argentic 

 nitrate and by double decomposition argentic chloride is 

 formed and remains in the albumen layer with a certain neces- 

 sary excess of argentic nitrate. Argentic chloride in such 

 conditions darkens under the action of white light ; the black 

 parts of a negative prevent access of light to the parts of the 

 sensitive paper in contact with the negative, the light parts of 

 the negative allow the light to pass and affect the paper, and 

 so a "print" is obtained. The print thus obtained if not 

 " fixed " would soon turn black all over, so it must be fixed in 

 sodic hypo-sulphite, but this would leave the print with a very 

 unpleasant color, so before fixing we " tone " the print by 

 causing a layer of gold to be deposited over the image ; this 

 gold, being deposited over the peculiar gradations of color 

 proper to the reduced chloride and albuminate of silver, gives 

 various color or " tones " according to the color of the sub- 



