Photographic Paper

Until the beginning of digital photographic processes, the sole meaning of photographic paper was paper coated with light-sensitive chemicals.

So-called photo papers of today are often especially coated papers for use in inkjet or laser printers to make digital prints. This article focuses on conventional photographic papers.

Photographic paper may be showing to light in a controlled manner either by placing a negative in contact with the paper directly (contact printing) or by using an enlarger (enlarging) in order to create a latent image. Photographic papers are subsequently developed using wet chemicals to make a visible image.