Luca Maghini - Photography Glossary

Glossary of Photographic Terms
Term	Definition
Archival	A feature of some materials used in presenting or storing fine art work. Acids in paper, cotton, cardboard, wood and other materials will, over time, cause deterioration in the artwork. Archival materials are acid-free, and sometimes include a buffer to prevent acidic penetration of material. The term archival is sometimes used with respect to certain color photographic techniques to describe their longevity or color fastness.
Archival Processing	A generic term for multiple types of processes that have the intent of reducing as much as practicable, or stabilizing, the quantity of materials and chemicals that can lead to deterioration.
Condition	Refers to the physical condition of a particular print. Flaws or damage can include surface scratches, chipped emulsion, spots on the print or mount, mildew or other environmental damage. Because the condition of a print can have a significant impact on its value, it is very important to take excellent care of photographs. Our rating scale is excellent, good and fair.
Copyright	The legal right to use and restrict use of an image. All images pictured and sold on this web site are copyrighted by their respective owners. All rights are reserved to the owner without express written consent of the owner.
Edition	General term for a grouping or classification of any grade of artwork, be it exhibition prints, reproductions, posters, books, etc. The term is so general, with so many different types of classifications, that it is, by itself, meaningless. Always ask the seller what the edition means.
Grain	Grain is the smallest unit of color or tone in film, the digital equivalent is pixel.
Image	The artist's rendition of the scene which seeks to convey or evoke a particular emotion. Sometimes the term is confused with the meaning of "Print", which is the tangible object.
Image Quality	Image quality consists of luminosity, tonality, sharpness, and grain of the image of a print. It does not refer to the composition of the image, which is a subjective determination and generality will not vary from print to print.
Lithograph	Term widely used today for some high quality posters and paper prints that are ink-based reproductions of original works in any medium. Technically inaccurate, as the term originally referred to a printing process that used stone plates to hold the ink. The word derives from the Latin root "lith", meaning stone, and "graph" meaning image. As there is no standard quality scale for paper prints, buyers should pay attention to what is called a "litho" or "lithograph". In our terminology, a lithograph refers to the product of a specific process using metal plates with hand made color separations.
Longevity, Stability	Photographic prints are typically archivally processed to enhance their permanence. Platinum, palladium and cyanotypes are considered permanent. Most silver prints, properly washed and fixed, are generally permanent as well. Not all color processes are as stable, however, recent advances in archival papers such as FujiColor Crystal Archive paper have significantly extended the life of color prints. Inks and pigments are being developed that have a greater longevity all the time. One of the most trusted resources in this field is Henry Wilhelm, located on the internet at www.wilhelm-research.com.
Luminosity	Luminosity refers to how much a black and white photograph appears to glows, i.e. the warmth of an area brightness. It can vary from print to print, and is inherent in the image itself. If that doesn"t confuse you, please raise your hand. As our web site develops, we will try to show an example, however there may be technical limitations.
Mount	Also called "mount board", the photograph is mounted, either "tipped", "dry mounted", "hinged" or "wet mounted" on to a paper, cotton, or foam core "board" that is stiff enough to support the print. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. The most important thing to know is whether it is archival or not.
Mount, Corner	Process of attaching a photograph to a mount board using corner "sheaths" which are adhered to the mount. The photograph is not permanently affixed, and the tips of the photograph slide into the corners. Usually the overmat covers the corners, and the artist may sign the overmat and/or the photograph edge.
Mount, Dry	Process of adhering a photograph to a mount board using a thin heat-sensitive paper. Most photographers use an archival dry mount tissue. Dry mounting is, for the most part, permanent, and flaws, dust and grit in the mount process can ruin the photograph.
Mural	Really big photographs. 70x100 cm minimum. Difficult to print and retain the qualities of more standard size images, even more difficult to develop.
Original	General usage means a print made by the artist. Historically, some photographers were not interested in working in the darkroom but prints signed by him are considered originals. With digital processes, originals are not handcrafted but are approved and signed by the artist.
Over-mat	A cotton or fiber "board" that rests on top of the mount in which a window is cut to reveal the photograph. The over-mat will provide some protection (eliminate contact) from the surface of the glass or plexi-glass when the photograph is framed. It can also protect the edges of the print. Some photographers sign the over-mat as well as the print or mount.
Photograph	As a noun, photograph can and does mean both the tangible paper based result and the image as it is created in the camera and on film. We generally refer to the tangible final result as a 'print', and the film negative or positive as the negative. As a verb, it is a great occupation, avocation, hobby, or pastime.
Photograph, Original	Photographs are, by nature of the art form, two steps removed from the subject. The first step is the negative (or positive transparency), the second is the photograph. The generally accepted definition of "Original Photograph" is a photograph printed by the photographer from the original negative. With caveats. The advent of digital photography and digital prints continues to throw a curve at the classic definition of photography.
Plate	Printing term for an image on a page in a book. In many older books, the printed image is on a different type of paper than the text, and has to be printed separately. Text pages were numbered separately from pages with images, thus a different type of index and a different terminology.
Ply	A measure of the stiffness or thickness of mount and over-mat.
Portfolio	A group of photographs published together, usually with some unifying concept, such as artist, subject matter, composition, theme, or interpretation.
Poster	Mass produced image on paper using inks. The quality of posters vary widely, and the highest quality posters today are sometimes referred to as lithographs. The variables that determine poster quality are: quality of the reproduction print, the printer, printer operator, paper, screen of color separation, choice of ink, including ink colors, and even the size of the ink dot.
Print	Term that is used widely and loosely to refer to the physical object of any number of photographic or other paper-based media. Not to be confused with the term "Image", which is the artist"s rendition of the scene. Print can also mean photograph, poster, lithograph, linotype, woodblock, etc. This site uses the term to refer to photographs, and other terms such as poster or lithograph to refer to those types of items.
Print Quality	Print quality consists of tangible aspects, such as the papers used, the original presentation of the print, and the subsequent condition. See condition.
Print, Carbon Ink	A black and white print created with a professional high resolution inkjet printer, utilizing four to seven shades of carbon-pigment based monochromatic inks. In expert hands, this process can produce tonal subtleties previously associated with the finest platinum prints. The best of these are essentially dotless and continuous tone. Carbon is an extremely stable element, and when applied to fine art rag paper, its archival properties rank among the best of any printmaking process.
Print, Chromogenic	General term for a color print. Includes print categories color negative (c-print and crystal archive), color positive (silver dye), and ink (pigment and dye).
Print, Contact	A photographic print made by placing the negative in direct contact with the paper rather than projecting the image onto the paper through an enlarger lens. Contact prints are always the same size as the negative. They typically show the least amount of grain of any photograph made from that negative.
Print, Crystal Archive	A new generation of color negative photographic paper. Designed for use in large, digitally controlled laser 'enlargers'. The lasers expose the emulsion on the paper in microscopic increments. When completely exposed, the paper is then processed with traditional photographic chemicals. This photographic paper is expected to remain color stable for more than 60 years.
Print, Dye	A color print made using digital technologies with a dye ink as the color base instead of pigment ink. A dye ink and paper combination more recently developed is expected to remain color stable for more than 100 years.
Print, Exhibition	Refers to the highest quality of photographic print. The printed Image reflects not just the vision of the artist, but the craftsmanship, with tonality and luminosity as the artist intends. Exhibition Prints are processed archivally, usually on a fiber based paper. Almost all original photographs signed by the artist are considered Exhibition Prints. The term is interchangeable with Fine Print or Fine Art Print.
Print, Fine	Term used refer to the highest quality of photographic print. The printed Image reflects not just the vision of the artist, but the craftsmanship with tonality and luminosity as the artist intends. Fine Prints are processed archivally, usually on a fiber based paper. Almost all original photographs signed by the artist are considered Fine Prints. The term is interchangeable with Exhibition Print.
Print, Gelatin Silver	A gelatin silver print, or just "silver print" refers to prints made on paper having silver chloride emulsion. Most contemporary black and white photographs are gelatin silver prints.
Print, Ilfochrome / Cibachrome	A high-gloss color positive photographic print that allows extremely sharp detail and high resolution. Made from a color positive (transparency or slide). The process uses a silver dye-bleach to selectively bleach dyes already within the paper. Originally called Cibachrome, product line was purchased by Ilford, which changed the name of the product.
Print, Inkjet	An inkjet print can be created on an inexpensive home printer from a digital image file or on high quality commercial printer at high resolution. Ink is applied on paper or other material by spraying tiny droplets of ink from nozzles in the printer head. Iris and Giclee prints are examples of high quality inkjet applications. The newest inks and pigments formulated for this process have archival qualities similar to photographic prints.
Print, Pigment	A color print made using digital technologies with a pigment ink as the color base instead of dye. The first digital print-making process to combine archival stability with small droplet size. The most common digital print making technology uses Epson printers and inks. Independent of paper selection, archival stability is expected for over 70 years.
Print, Reproduction	Photograph made for the specific purpose of reproducing a photograph in a newspaper, book, or magazine. Because of the limitations of these media, photographers typically print the image without the full range of tones. The magazine, for example, usually prints black and white images in half-tones, which adds contrast to the image. Until very recently, the photographer would have to compensate for the press by printing a muted, low contrast photograph specifically for reproduction purposes. Also called "repro print". Not to be confused with "Reproduction".
Print, Straight	A photograph made without manipulation such as burning or dodging which shows exactly the densities inherent in the negative.
Print, Work	Achieving the visualized image is a difficult process, with a multitude of factors that need to be aligned. Such factors include: size of print, developer temperature and time, type of paper, dry-down, burning and dodging, etc. A work print is an intermediate step which is not exhibition quality.
Provenance	Term for the history of a particular work of art. In photography, the history of a unique print. Often includes ownership, exhibits, and references. The provenance of a fine print can have a very significant impact on its value to a collector.
Quality	In the context of this glossary, quality refers to both the print and the image. Image quality consists of luminosity, tonality, sharpness, and grain to name a few aspects. Print quality consists of tangible aspects, such as the papers used, the original presentation of the print, and the subsequent condition.
Reproduction	A reproduction is a second or further generation from the original photograph. A reproduction can be photographic or ink-based, such as a poster, lithograph, card, or calendar.
Sharpness	Sharpness refers to the focus or clarity of lines and gradations of tone.
Special Edition	It is intended a photography that contain something better than a "regular" edition. Also "limited edition" can have the same interpretation, but more frequently is related to the limited amount of prints.
Tonality	Tonality refers to both the hue of a black and white photograph and the gradation of black to white throughout the photograph.
Toning, Selenium	This is a chemical process used to both harden the surface of a gelatin silver print and to intensify the tonalities.
Toning, Sepia	This is a chemical process that is used to create a warmer hue to a gelatin silver print.
Verso	Art term for the reverse side of the mounted photograph.

Glossary of Photographic Terms

Definition