Platinum Palladium Process
Holly Doan Spraul, curator/owner of Wash Park Art in Cincinnati describes the platinum palladium process, “The delicate surface and long tonal range are unique to platinum processing. A method from the late 1800’s that requires patience and exactitude, it yields the most stable and durable prints of all photographic processes. They are made by sensitizing paper with iron salts and exposing the paper in contact with a negative until a faint image has formed. The paper is then chemically developed in a process that replaces the iron salts with platinum and palladium and intensifies the image. Unlike gelatin silver prints where the metal is suspended in a gelatin emulsion on the paper, the platinum and palladium deposits are absorbed in the paper. The result is a matte finish of exceptional range.”
Each print is a duplicate original, meaning that although they are created by the same negative, the variables of humidity, temperature, coating technique and the age of the chemical affect the final result. Each print is original.
