Platinum-Palladium

The Platinum-Palladium process is a unique historic photographic fine art printing process and a specialty of Laboratorium. 

Platinum-Palladium prints are characterized by a very extensive tonal range and a velvety, iridescent surface. No other process brings such fine shades of gray and deep blacks to paper with unrivaled definition in shadows and highlights. 

Only a few still master this technique, which originated in the 19th century. Photographers such as Paul Strand, Irving Penn and Alfred Stieglitz used the technique as a form of artistic expression. Due to high raw material prices, this process fell into oblivion, and it was not until the 1970s that it experienced a renaissance in the USA and Europe. 

The Laboratorium has strived to keep the process alive for over 20 years and is proud to be one of the few photo labs still offering the Platinum Palladium process today.

From the original negative, we create a digital negative in the desired image size. 

The light-sensitive solution, consisting of platinum, palladium and iron salts, is mixed together in our laboratory from elaborately prepared pure and precious raw materials and skillfully applied by hand with brushes to high-quality watercolor paper. The coated paper is dried and then exposed to UV light in a contact process. Then the exposed paper is developed, clarified, watered and air-dried. This creates works of art that are unique.