Photographic prints printed on bromide paper.
Bromide print (sometimes known as bromide paper) was once an industry standard in photograph printing. This form of photographic paper works by coating paper sheets with an exposure-sensitive silver emulsion layer; when exposed to light, its silver bromide component dissipates into silver and darkens the paper surface.
Bromide prints were once popular due to their quick and cost-effective production; however, they had several drawbacks that rendered them impractical for use as memorabilia. One major issue is their tendency to fade over time; as well as being vulnerable to chemical and water damage and require more effort than modern solutions in maintaining long-term safety.
Bromide prints have since fallen out of use for photography, but are still frequently utilized for some book printing applications such as dust jackets and endpapers printing, illustrations and graphics printing, etc.
Bromide is also used in the printing and book publishing industry to refer to a chemical used to speed up drying times of inks and reduce smudging, and as a preservative that protects paper against mold and mildew growth. Furthermore, it’s used to prevent yellowing and becoming brittle – chemically it decomposes into hydrobromic acid after decomposing in water.
Bromide prints remain attractive options; however, due to more advanced printing technologies they have largely fallen out of favor in recent years. While fine art photographers and collectors occasionally use it, it is no longer widely available.