Platinotype

Made by a monochrome printing process, Platinum prints, also called platinotypes, are photographic prints that provide the greatest tonal range of any printing method using chemical development. Dissimilar from the silver print process, platinum lies on the paper surface, while silver lies in a gelatin or albumen emulsion that coats the paper. As a result, since no gelatin emulsion is used, the final platinum image is absolutely matte with a deposit of platinum (and/or palladium, its sister element which is also used in most platinum photographs) absorbed slightly into the paper. Most platinum printing ended around 1914, as the platinum was needed to manufacture high explosives for World War I.