Alternatively, the negative or transparency may be placed atop the paper and directly exposed, creating a contact print.
The process consists of four major steps, performed in a photographic darkroom or within an automated photo printing machine.
These steps are: Optionally, after fixing, the print is treated with a hypo clearing agent to ensure complete removal of the fixer, which would otherwise compromise the long term stability of the image.
Panalure was developed to facilitate the printing of full-tone black-and-white images from colour negatives – a difficult task with conventional orthochromatic papers due to the orange tint of the film base.
This results in a slightly bluish, reflective patch in the darkest part of a print or negative when examined in raking light.