What is salt printing? A demonstration of 19th century photography modernized

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Salt printing, also called salted paper printing, was the first process invented to create a photographic image on paper in the 1830’s. By using modern methods and materials we can achieve an even more stunning result today using this alternative photographic process. You can even make stunning physical prints from your digital photography.

Notes and resources
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Below are notes on the steps in the video, as well as the resources that I used to learn the process.
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The salt printing bible:
The specific formulas and methods are mostly from the book “Salted Paper Printing” by Christina Z. Anderson. It’s an incredible resource with many amazing examples of salt printing methods. I’m using the recipes (of which there are many variations) from this book: https://amzn.to/3X8TrO2

Getting started:
These are the steps I have found to work for me, but they aren’t all necessary just to experiment with the method. Bostick & Sullivan makes a kit that comes with all the necessary chemistry to get started and will last quite a few prints. It also comes with instructions for a simplified process with less steps: https://amzn.to/4dZO9LN

Part 1: Creating a digital negative
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Creating a digital negative can be one of the trickiest parts of the process. You can use a standard film negative, but since it is a contact printing process the negative must be as large as the desired print. Unless you have a medium or large format film camera, creating a digital negative is often the easiest solution. Most modern ink-jet printers are capable of printing a digital negative, by printing on a specialized transparency film. The two best brands are Pictorico OHP (ultra premium) and Fixxons. I use Fixxons because it’s usually cheaper and just as good: https://amzn.to/3AIr3ed

There are lots of resources on the internet about creating digital negatives, and some pre-made adjustment files to use. I found the book “Easy Digital Negatives” by Peter Mrhar to be very useful in developing adjustments for my negatives: https://amzn.to/4e0Vj2d Also included in this book is lots of good troubleshooting information regarding printing on transparent film and covers lots of common issues you might encounter.

Part 2: Preparing the paper
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There are many different types of paper that can be suitable to use for salt printing. Most any paper that is used for other alternative processes can also be used for salt printing. I’ve tried 3 or 4 different types and found I like Bergger COT 320. Hahnemühle Platinum Rag is also a very popular paper.

Coating the paper well takes a lot of practice, but it’s very fun to see your brush strokes or puddles become parts of your image once the print is exposed. Just have fun with it, the chemicals are not too expensive, and you can practice on thick watercolor paper if you want to save the more expensive paper until you feel confident. There are many different methods for paper coating that achieve different results, all of which are detailed in Christina Z. Anderson book mentioned in the beginning. Here are the glass straws I used in the video for the second coating step: https://amzn.to/3L3epqb I threaded some cord through one and tied it to create a handle.

Part 3: Processing the print
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These steps are fairly easy and straightforward, following the instructions in the book or the simplified version in the starter kit. You can use catering trays or any other similar shaped containers if you don’t have any developing trays. I like the paterson trays: https://amzn.to/3JKAhpO they are really sturdy and the shape makes it easy to pour from.

For exposing the print, this is the acrylic material I found that works well: https://amzn.to/3Mo9Ol9 but any glass should also work as long as it is fairly thick.

I built my UV exposure box using these Barrina UV LED Blacklight Bars: https://amzn.to/4dIzrZZ I also used this cheap plug in timer (in countdown mode) to time the exposures: https://amzn.to/3iy36d6

You will need a room without any natural (UV) light, but most artificial light sources will be ok. This is one of the advantages of alternative processes that are only sensitive to UV light, you don’t have to be as careful about creating a light-tight environment to work in.

Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments or follow me on mastodon and instagram @NimbleDave