News

How do I create a collodion image from a digital file?

You have come to the right place!  This is our specialty, taking favorite digital images and old paper photographs and preserving those special memories as wet plate collodion images.  Now available in tintypes and ambrotypes!  Upload you photograph to a metal tintype or a glass ambrotype.  Available in a variety of sizes and colors, our tintypes and ambrotypes will make a precious gift for any occasion.

Restored campaign pin from 1864

This tiny campaign pin came to us with only one of the photographs present.  The photograph on the left was present, but what had happened to the photograph on the right was anyone's guess.  The request was for us to create a tiny tintype to replace what image had long been missing.  The image was recovered from a digital scan, and this is the result.  We also created a pin back by hand from a piece of brass sheeting and a small brass wire.  The pin back can now be glued with jeweler's adhesive to completely restore the full piece.

This is just an example of one of the ways we can restore images from what was considered lost forever.  If you would like us to help you get started, email Jen at digitaltintypes@gmail.com.

Making hand held metal tintypes and glass ambrotypes

Chicago, IL - Digital Tintypes celebrated the anniversary of their first year in business with the announcement of a new line of wet plate collodion ambrotypes!  Now anyone in the world can visit www.digitaltintypes.com, upload their favorite digital image, and have that image exposed as a one of a kind metal tintype or glass ambrotype. 

Wet plate collodion tintype and ambrotype photography began in the 1850’s.  It is a process that renders a silver image directly onto a metal or glass sheet.  All of the chemistry and techniques used at www.digitaltintypes.com are the same as those created in the 1850’s.  Digitaltintypes.com has perfected a technique of transfering digital files to film, and then exposing that film to metal tintype or glass ambrotype sheets.  This makes the treasured 1850’s process accessible to modern families who are looking for an alternative printing process that creates not only a one of a kind image, but also a very permanent image that can be passed on as a photographic heirloom.

Digitaltintypes.com offers both professionals and amateurs alike a new possibility in printing and sharing their favorite photographs.  We provide clients with the highest quality tintype and ambrotypes to preserve their family memories and life’s memorable events. 

Tintypes are available in multiple sizes and four different plate color styles including black, brown, high polish silver, and rose gold.  Ambrotypes are available in multiple sizes and three different glass color styles including ruby red, cobalt blue, and opaque black.  Jewelry selections including pendants and cufflinks can also be created from uploaded files and are available in limited quanities.

Visitors to digitaltintypes.com use a three step upload process to make their tintype or ambrotype. First they select their plate size and style.  Then they proceed to checkout.  Once they have placed their order they are prompted to upload an image to be processed.  These tintypes and ambrotypes are then hand poured, shipped and delivered, ready to frame.

Digitaltintypes.com also takes in camera tintypes for people who are visiting the Chicago area and would like to experience what it is like to sit for a tintype in studio.  Available in three different sizes, sittings are booked with wet plate photographer Jen Jansen, co-founder of digitaltintypes.com.

Baby Pendant from 3D photo!

We got a call to make a very special Valentine's present for a mommy to be.  We were sent a jpg of a 3D in utero image of baby soon to be born.  One of our dozen red rose tintypes was used as the front of the pendant, and we filled the back with baby to be!  Below is the in utero tintype pendant we created, front and back, as well as the original 3D photo. 

Want to make something unique for your special sweetie?  Just email Jen at digitaltintypes@gmail.com to get started, she loves making special gifts!

Tintype Gift Certificates

Send the gift of a tintype with one of our digital tintype gift certificates!  Makes a great gift for a wedding, anniversary, new baby, graduation, or that person for who you want to give something unexpected!



Tintype Anniversary!

This piece was created to celebrate a wedding anniversary.  The original images are actually polaroids from the wedding photo booth. 

We created four tintypes, mounted them to one of our wabi sabi frames, and displayed on a formed steel easel.  Our frames come with steel rods welded to the back for easy wall hanging, but we are also happy to provide a formed steel easel if you are more inclined to display on a table top. 

Want to create something special for your anniversary?  Just give us a call, we love making special pieces!

Preserving family history

Preserving a family's history through photographs is a big part of why we do what we do!  Our tintype photographer has been restoring damaged photographs for close to 15 years and has a true passion for creating photographic artifacts.  If you are looking to recreate a modern photograph as a tintype, or if you are preserving a fading memory with a tintype, we are always excited to help create photographic artifacts with our tintypes.  If you have damaged old photographs you would like to mail us, we are happy to help you do that.  Simply email Jen to get started!  digitaltintypes@gmail.com