The Gelatin-silver process is the photographic process used with currently available black and white films and printing papers. A suspension of silver salts in gelatin is coated onto acetate film or fiber-based or resin coated paper and allowed to dry (hence the term dry plate). These materials remain stable for months and years unlike the 'wet plate' materials that preceded them. HAHA, Ive deleted all KISS MY ASS>< ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ... Gelatin (also gelatine) is a translucent brittle solid substance, colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and odorless, which is created by prolonged boiling of animal skin, connective tissue or bones. ... Acetate, or ethanoate, is the anion of a salt or ester of acetic acid. ... Resin of a pine Insect trapped in resin. ...

The Gelatin-Silver process was introduced by R. L. Maddox in 1871 with subsequent considerable improvements in sensitivity obtained by Charles Harper Bennet in 1878. Intense research in the last 125 years has lead to current materials that exhibit low grain and high sensitivity to light. 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

When small crystals (called grains) of silver salts such as silver bromide and silver chloride are exposed to light, a few atoms of free metallic silver are liberated. These free silver atoms form the latent image. This latent image is relatively stable and will persist for some months without degradation provided the film is kept dark and cool. Films are developed using solutions that reduce the free silver atoms. An 'amplification' of the latent image occurs as the silver salts near the free silver atom are also reduced to metallic silver. The strength, temperature and time for which the developer is allowed to act allow the photographer to control the contrast of the final image. The development is then stopped by neutralizing the developer in a second bath. Silver bromide (AgBr) is a photosensitive substance. ... Silver chloride (also called silver(I) chloride) is a chemical compound with chemical formula AgCl and is composed of one silver and one chlorine molecule. ...

Once development is complete, the undeveloped silver salts must be removed by fixing in sodium thiosulphate or ammonium thiosulphate, and then the film or paper must be washed in clean water. The final image consists of metallic silver embedded in the gelatin coating. Sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate Sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3) is a colorless crystalline compound that is more familiar as the pentahydrate, Na2S2O3 · 5H2O, an efflorescent, monoclinic crystalline substance also called sodium hyposulfite or &#8220;hypo. ...

See photographic processes for older methods that have seen something of a come-back recently amongst art photographers. This page list various photographic processes. ...

References

Silver gelatin dry plate process