Collotype is a photographic printing process invented in France in 1855 by Alphonse Poitevin. It gives accurate reproduction because no halftone screen is employed to break the images into dots.

It looks like this old process is nowadays commercially used only in Japan. There are 2 studios left in Kyoto that use collotype printing to preserve Japan’s heritage. Watch a beautiful video called ‘A story of ink & steel’ below recorded in Benrido – the bigger studio.

Benrido also organize The Hariban award (now in its seventh year) that gives you an opportunity to submit 8-12 photos in black and white and produce the collotype prints that would be displayed in a solo exhibition the following spring.

A deadline is July 15th! 11:59 pm (JP Standard Time). Check it out 🙂