ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the continuous tone, pictorial films available. Black and white film can be divided into two basic groups: speed and type. Speed is based on the manufacturer’s ISO rating, not personal exposure indexes. Speed aside, pictorial films can be characterized into six broad types: conventional, tabular, chromogenic, document, infrared, orthochromatic, and transparency. The category includes all black and white films before the introduction of tabular grain films in 1988. Most films manufactured today are still conventional as they remain more popular than tabular films. Tabular films take advantage of new technology for growing thinner silver crystals so they have more surface area and less depth than conventional silver crystals. Chromogenic films are black and white films based on color technology and should be developed in C-41 chemistry. Document films have ultra fine grain and extremely high-contrast.
