A Manual of Photographic Chemistry, Including the Practice of the Collodion ProcessHardwich, T. Frederick
Science
A Manual of Photographic Chemistry, Including the Practice of the Collodion Process
Hardwich, T. Frederick
Photographic chemistry; Photography
A surface of Chloride of Silver with a bare excess of Nitrate, darkens on
exposure, but it does not reach the bronzed stage; the action appearing to
stop at a certain point. On placing the print in Hyposulphite of Soda, it
becomes very red and pale, and when tinted, looks cold and slaty, without
depth or intensity.
c. _The sensitiveness and intensity affected by substituting the Oxide
of Silver for the Nitrate._--Many operators employ a solution of Oxide
of Silver in Ammonia[17] or Nitrate of Ammonia, in preparing Chloride of
Silver paper. By doing so, a great increase of sensitiveness, and also of
intensity of image, is obtained. This will be understood if we remember
that the action of light in producing the print is of a reducing nature.
Hence the substitution of Oxide for Nitrate of Silver facilitates the
decomposition; just as _Ammonio-Nitrate_ of Silver is more readily reduced
by Gallic or Pyrogallic Acid than the simple Nitrate (see p. 31).
[17] The chemistry of Ammonio-Nitrate of Silver is explained in the
Vocabulary, Part III.
Ammonio-Nitrate paper has the disadvantage of soon _discolouring_ when
kept; but it is very serviceable in printing during the winter months.
The proportion of Chloride in the salting Bath may, if desired, be
considerably reduced; the intensity of action being greatly exalted by the
use of the Oxide of Silver.
d. _Employment of organic matters._--Those recommended in this work
are--Albumen, Gelatine, and Iceland Moss. Albumen adds much to the
sensibility of the paper, and gives very fine surface definition. A less
amount of Chloride is required than in the case of plain paper simply
salted, the glutinous character of Albuminous liquids causing more of
the fluid to be retained upon the surface of the paper, and the animal
matter assisting the reduction. By varying the proportion of salt, both
feeble and intense Negatives may be printed successfully upon albuminized
paper. No process gives better results, either as regards sensitiveness,
or in faithfully rendering all the finer details of the Negative, than the
process with Albumen.
Iceland Moss, when boiled in water, yields a mucilaginous liquid which is
conveniently employed as a vehicle for Chloride of Silver; it increases
the sensitiveness of the paper and gives additional power of bronzing,
by assisting to reduce the free Nitrate of Silver. Many other organic
matters, tending to absorb oxygen, would act in the same way.
_Gelatine_ is used in positive printing; it is analogous to Albumen in
composition, and, like it, forms a red compound with Suboxide of Silver.
It is serviceable in keeping the print at the surface of the paper, but
does not alter the sensibility or the general appearance of the finished
picture so greatly as Albumen.
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