Carbon Magnification
Image Structure
Carbon prints consist of pigment suspended in gelatin. They will appear as continuous in tone with small pigment particles visible. Pigment particles will vary in size depending on the pigments used and how finely ground they are.
Carbon prints consist of pigment suspended in gelatin. They will appear as continuous in tone with small pigment particles visible. Pigment particles will vary in size depending on the pigments used and how finely ground they are.
What to look for: Continuous tone image with pigment particles.
Pigment particles visible, 10x
Pigment particles visible, 50x
Layer Structure
Carbon transfer paper was commercially available and consists of a heavy paper support coated with hardened gelatin—this is the most common support. Photographers could also make their own in the same manner or use regular, fixed out, baryta POP paper.
Carbon transfer paper was commercially available and consists of a heavy paper support coated with hardened gelatin—this is the most common support. Photographers could also make their own in the same manner or use regular, fixed out, baryta POP paper.
What to look for: Partially visible paper fibers in the highlights. Paper fibers are obscured in the shadows by the thick gelatin layer. Less commonly, the paper fibers will be obscured due to the presence of a baryta layer if a POP paper was used.
Paper fibers are partially visible in the highlights.
A typical cross section shows a two-layer structure.
Paper fibers obscured due to the presence of a baryta layer.
This cross section shows a carbon print with a three-layer structure.