Platinum/palladium prints are known for their beauty, archival stability and their unique, one-of-a-kind print statement. All platinum prints are hand-coated; the images on this page show the distinct brushstrokes that are created when applying the chemicals to the paper.

Platinum and its close cousin, palladium, are noble metals on the Periodic Table. The platinum group metals are very stable against oxidation or other chemical reactions that might degrade the print and is even more stable than gold. It is estimated that a platinum image, properly made, can last thousands of years.

Platinum prints, also called platinotypes, have a distinctly different look from silver gelatin or digital prints. For someone accustomed to the contrasty punch seen in a typical silver gelatin print, a platinum print will often feel softer or lower in contrast. A platinum print has a more gradual tonal change from black to white. In reality, there are actually more steps between pure black and pure white in platinum prints than in a silver gelatin print. This greater dynamic range contributes to a deeper, richer feeling seen when looking at these prints.

All platinum prints have a matte surface, not glossy, because the sensitizer is absorbed directly into the paper rather than sitting on the surface. Since no gelatin emulsion is used, the final platinum image is absolutely matte with a deposit of platinum (and/or its palladium sister element which is also used in most platinum photographs) absorbed slightly into the paper.

The light sensitive properties of platinum were first observed in the 1830s by both German and English scientists but it was not until the 1880s when platinum first became consistently available for photographic processes. Platinum costs skyrocketed around 1907 to about 50x the cost of silver and the prohibitive expense pushed platinum into the realm of infrequently used alternative processes.