CHAPTER 3

PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS AND

PAPERS
 A. Black and White Films
•EMULSION

•GRAY OR ANTI-HALATION BACKING

•SUPPORT BASE
 EMULSION

• Photographic emulsion consists of crystals

of light sensitive compounds (silver
nitrate) evenly distribute throughout
plastic base material.
• (The heart of the film, emulsion or the
silver halide crystal)
 EMULSION
• Silver halide emulsions are universally
sensitive to UV radiations and some
wavelengths to blue light.
• They can be made sensitive to other colors of
light and the near IR radiation by the addition
of special sensitive dye.
• Gelatin---used a medium that holds the
crystals in emlusion.
 GRAY OR ANTI-HALATION BACKING

• is a layer found in most photographic

films, usually a coating on the back of the
film base, though it is sometimes
incorporated between the light-sensitive
emulsion and the base.
 GRAY OR ANTI-HALATION BACKING

• This layer is paled between the emulsion

and the plastic base of a film to prevent
whatever light that passes through the
emulsion and reflected by the base back
to the emulsion which forms “halo”.
 GRAY OR ANTI-HALATION BACKING

Its purpose is to absorb light that passes

through the emulsion, thus preventing any
light from being reflected back through the
emulsion from the rear surface of the base,
or from anything behind the film, such as
the pressure plate of the camera.
 SUPPORT BASE

•Film base are made of plastic material.

•They serve as a support to the emulsion.
CHARACTERISTICS OF B & W FILMS

1. Speed (sensitivity to light)

2. Spectral (wavelength or color)
3. Granularity or Graininess
CHARACTERISTICS OF B & W FILMS

• Although films are universally manufacture in

about the same way, there are controlled

variations in procedure, choice and

proportion of chemicals use in processing

films of different characteristics.

 EMULSION SPEED

• Emulsion speed is the extent to which an

emulsion is sensitive to light.
 EMULSION SPEED
A. ASA (American Standards Association) rating.
- expressed in arithmetic value

B. DIN (Deutche Industri Normen) rating

- expressed in logarithmic value

C. ISO (International Standards Organization) rating

- expressed in the combined arithmetical values
and logarithmic values
 ASA .12 DIN 12° ISO 12/12

ASA 25 DIN 15° ISO 25/15

ASA 50 DIN 18° ISO 50/18

ASA 100 DIN 21° ISO 100/21

ASA 200 DIN 24° ISO 200/24

ASA 400 DIN 27° ISO 400/27

ASA 800 DIN 30° ISO 800/30

ASA 1600 DIN33° ISO 1600/33

ASA 100-Plus X
ASA 200-Double X
ASA 400-Tri-X
 SPECTRAL SENSITIVITY

• Blue sensitive film – sensitive to ultra-

violet rays and blue color only.
• Orthochromatic film – sensitive to ultra-
violet rays, to blue and green color. It is
not sensitive to red color.
 SPECTRAL SENSITIVITY

• Panchromatic film – sensitive to ultra-

violet rays, to blue, green and red color.
• Infra-red film – sensitive to ultra-violet
rays, to all the colors, and also infra-red
rays.
GRANULARITY OR GRAININESS

• Refers to the size of the metallic silver grains

that are formed after development of an
exposed film.
• The size of the metallic silver grains are
dependent on the emulsion speed of the film
and the type of developing solution that is
used in processing.
GRANULARITY OR GRAININESS

• The rule is:

“the lower the emulsion speed rating of film,

the finer is the grain”
“the higher the emulsion speed of rating of
film, the bigger are the grains”
GRANULARITY OR GRAININESS

• A film developer will produce a finer grain

than a paper developer when used fro film
processing.
 B. COLOR FILMS

• is a multi-layer emulsion coated on the

same support or base.
• Top Emulsion (sensitive to blue light)

• ---since green and red light passes

through it without effect, the blue light
alone makes the exposure.
 B. COLOR FILMS

• A yellow filter layer above the middle

emulsion absorbs any unused blue light
and prevents it from reaching the two
lower emulsion layer.
 B. COLOR FILMS

• The yellow color in the filter layer have no

permanent effect on the appearance of
the film since it is destroyed during the
development process.
 B. COLOR FILMS

• Middle Emulsion (sensitive to green light

but not to red light)
• ---the middle layer is also sensitive to blue
light but the blue light cannot reach it.
• ---the exposure in this layer is therefore
made by the green light alone.
 B. COLOR FILMS

• Bottom Emulsion (sensitive to red light)

• ---the exposure in thislayer is made by the

red light alone.

------------------------------------------------------
• The THREE emulsion layers are coated on
film base which has anti-halation backing.
 Types of Color Films

A. Negative or Non-Reversal Film

• The suffix “color” is given to negative or
non-reversal film.
• This film yields either a negative or a
positive image depending on how it is
used.
 Types of Color Films

B. Reversal Film

The suffix “chrome” is applied to reversal

material. This processed a positive image
or transparency for projection viewing.

E.g. Kodachrome, Ektachrome, Fujichrome,

Agfachrome
Negative or non-reversal film
Reversal film
 Color Films

• It also have emulsion speed with the same

indicators---ASA, DIN, ISO and the same
ratings
 B & W and Color Films

• They come in a variety of sizes and

numbers of exposures.
• Sizes--- 8mm, 16mm, 135mm
• Number of exposures---12, 24, 36
 C. PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPERS

• These are composed of a light sensitie

coating (emulsion) on a paper base or
support.
• The emulsion is suspended on a gelatin
is generally made of silver halide salts.
• The base is made up of wood pulp.
 C. PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPERS

• According to chemical contents – chloride papers,

bromide papers, chloro-bromide papers.

• According to contrast #0-#1, #2, #3-#5

• According to physical characteristics – weight
(single, medium, or double) surface (glossy, semi-
matte, matte) color (white, cream).
Characteristics of Photographic Papers

• Emulsion Speed
• Exposure and development latitude
• Contrast range or grade
• Physical charateristics
 Emulsion Speed
• Chloride paper

---Has slow speed and is suited for contact

printing
 Emulsion Speed

• Bromide papers
• ---Has fast speed and suited for protection
printing or enlarging
 Emulsion Speed

• Chloro-bromide papers
• ---multi-speed and could be used in both
contact printing and enlarging.
 Emulsion Speed

• The contrast of an emulsion also affects

printing speed.
• “for some paper, the lighter the contrast
grade, the slower the speed”.
Exposure and Development Latitude

• Latitude is the degree or amount of which

can deviate from the ideal exposure or
development without appreciable loss of
print quality.
Exposure and Development Latitude

• Exposure Latitude
• ---Photographic papers do not have a wide
exposure latitude so exposure must be
critical at all times.
 Exposure and Development Latitude

• Development Latitude

• ---Papers do not change appreciable

contrast and image tone with reasonable
variations in development has a good
latitude.
• The developing time should be as near as
those prescribed by the manufacturer.
 CONTRAST RANGE/GRADE

• In B & W printing, it is often necessary to

adjust the paper contrast to yield a natural
scenes.
• Some papers are available in several
ranges while others have built in contrast
control
 CONTRAST TANGE/GRADE

• Numbers 0-1 are used on over-exposed or

low contrast negative
• Numbers 2 normal exposed or normal
contrast negatives
• Numbers 3 – 5 under-exposed or high
contrast negatives
 Physical Characteristics

• Surfaces of photographic
papers---glossy/smooth; semi-matte/silk;
matte/rough surface.
• Base weight or thickness---light weight;
single weight; medium weight; double
weight
 Physical Characteristics

• Color may be “cold” or white with very

slight blue cast and the “warm”/”cream”
where the white has a slight yellow burn-
brown line.
Photographic Papers for Color Printing

• Similar to the used in the camera except

that the emulsion layers are coated on a
paper base and contact couplers which are
colorless.
• Colored couplers are not used because the
print would then be unsuitable for direct
viewing.
Photographic Papers for Color Printing

• Photographic papers --- both color and B

& W--- are sold in rolls or sheets in
varying lengths and sizes.
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