19 Jun
AUTOCHROME, EQUIPMENT, OTHER, Zebra Dry Plates

A Journey into Slovenia’s Dry Plate Legacy & Filming a Dry Plate Documentary

This week, I had the unique opportunity to visit the Pelikan Glass Studio in Celje, Slovenia, a beautifully preserved photographic time capsule that offers a rare glimpse into the golden age of dry plate photography. Stepping into this historic space felt like traveling back more than a century, to a time when photography was not just a craft, but an art form practiced with precision, patience, and, most notably, glass. The Golden Age of Dry Plate Photography. The late 19th and early 20th centuries marked a turning point in photographic history. The invention of pre-coated glass dry plates revolutionized the field, replacing...

Continue reading

17 Jun
DARKROOM BUILD, DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, OTHER, Zebra Dry Plates

Daylight Film Development for Large Format Photographers – 900% Funded on Kickstarter

Just two weeks into our Kickstarter campaign for the Zebra Daylight Processing Tank, we’re thrilled to share that we’ve surpassed 900% funding, with more than 400 backers supporting this project from around the world. This overwhelming response confirms what we’ve seen growing for years: the analog photography community is alive, thriving, and eager for tools that remove unnecessary barriers while keeping the hands-on, tactile process we all love. We're deeply grateful for every pledge, message, and word of encouragement. You're not just backing a product you're helping shape the future of analog photography. No Darkroom? No Problem. The idea behind the Zebra Daylight...

Continue reading

11 Jun
DARKROOM BUILD, DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, OTHER, Zebra Dry Plates

Maximising Your Darkroom Space: Darkroom Sink Installation, Ventilation and LED Safelights

It has been a whirlwind few weeks here at the Zebra workshop, packed with exciting developments and challenging projects. Between finalizing the new darkroom and launching our second Kickstarter campaign, it's been intense, rewarding, and truly inspiring. Kickstarter Success Exceeding Expectations First off, a heartfelt thanks to our incredible community. Our second Kickstarter campaign for the Zebra Daylight Processing Tanks has been a resounding success, reaching over 800% funding with nearly 400 photographers backing the project. This overwhelming support highlights the genuine need for versatile, user-friendly analog photography solutions. Our tanks offer modular processing options for various formats, including popular sizes like...

Continue reading

14 May
DARKROOM BUILD, DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, OTHER, Zebra Dry Plates

Building Professional Darkroom: Flooring, Painting, Ventilation, Lighting & Layout

It’s time for another update—and honestly, this one feels pretty special. After so many months of groundwork and invisible progress, the new Zebra darkroom is finally starting to look and feel real. I can walk through the space now and actually imagine working in it. It’s happening! Tiling, Sealing, and Treating It Like a Bathroom One of the biggest milestones lately was finishing the tile flooring throughout the darkroom. This was a key step for me, especially around the sink area, which will be used constantly. I decided early on to build this part of the darkroom like a bathroom—properly sealed and...

Continue reading

17 Apr
DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, PRINTING PROCESSES, Zebra Dry Plates

Turning Negatives into Golden Positives – How to Make Orotones with Zebra Dry Plates

Technique documented by Tom Lee (UK) It all starts with a good negative...One of the most beautiful ways to showcase a photograph on glass is through the creation of an orotone—a luminous, golden-toned positive image backed with metallic brilliance. And yes, you can absolutely achieve this magic with Zebra Dry Plates. This in-depth process has been documented and generously shared by Tom Lee, a fellow photographer and dry plate enthusiast based in the UK. What You need to Get Started Zebra Dry Plates (for both negatives and positives) HERE OHP transparency film (for inkjet negatives) Photo inkjet printer (capable of printing on transparencies) Enlarger or consistent UV light source (a...

Continue reading

09 Apr
DARKROOM BUILD, OTHER

Building a Dream Darkroom: New Zebra “factory” is Finally Taking Shape!

The past few weeks have been intense here at Zebra HQ—and I’m finally excited to share some real, visible progress on our new darkroom build!We’ve officially moved beyond the invisible grind—the kind of hard work that doesn’t look like much when you walk by but is absolutely essential (you know the kind: digging, prepping, measuring, scratching your head over measurements again). Now we’re into the satisfying part: walls going up, spaces taking shape, and a glimpse of what the final darkroom will actually look like. Building a Darkroom Inside a 100-Year-Old Hayrack As many of you already know, we’re building this new...

Continue reading

02 Apr
DARKROOM BUILD, OTHER

A New Era Begins: Introducing the Zebra Dry Plate Coating Machine

For the past six years, every Zebra Dry Plate you’ve held in your hands has been poured, coated, and crafted by my own two. This was never just about making photographic materials—it was about resurrecting a process. A history. A soul. I’ve often said that Dry Plate photography is more than technique—it’s a dialogue between light and time, chemistry and craft. And for those six years, I’ve done everything I could to keep that conversation alive by hand-coating thousands upon thousands of plates in our small workshop. Today, I’m proud—and honestly a little emotional—to announce something that will shape the next chapter...

Continue reading

11 Mar
DARKROOM BUILD, OTHER

Building the Future: Progress on the New Zebra Darkroom

As many of you know, our journey in expanding Zebra Dry Plate has been an exciting one. From the humble beginnings of a shipping container darkroom to now building a dedicated workspace under a 200-year-old hayrack, every step has been fueled by passion, hard work, and the unwavering support of our incredible community. Progress Update Since our last update, we have made significant advancements in constructing the new Zebra Darkroom / Workshop space. This project is an exciting blend of old and new, as we are preserving the historical integrity of the hayrack while transforming it into a state-of-the-art facility for dry...

Continue reading

24 Feb
DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, Zebra Dry Plates

Coating Ultra-Large Plates: Expert Tips and Techniques

I often get asked if coating ultra-large plates—like the impressive 20x24 inch pieces—is much harder than coating smaller ones. The answer? It’s both yes and no. When you’re working on a plate of this size, every step of the process demands extra practice and precision. Spreading emulsion evenly across such a vast surface isn’t as simple as it sounds. For instance, using a syringe coating technique means you might need to stop and refill your emulsion cup three or four times while maintaining a perfectly level plate to avoid messy spills. On the flip side, the substantial weight of these plates...

Continue reading

19 Feb
DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, PRINTING PROCESSES, Zebra Dry Plates

The Art of Contact Printing on Zebra Dry Plate Tintypes

Adrian Anderson has been using Zebra Dry Plates for quite some time now, and he absolutely loves them. While he plans to use a camera to expose them eventually, the cost of large-format photography has led him to explore an alternative approach: contact printing. This method allows him to produce beautiful positive plates using digital images, and I want to take a moment to appreciate Adrian Anderson’s invaluable contribution to this process. His meticulous research and experimentation have provided a solid foundation for anyone looking to try this technique. Thanks to Adrian’s work, it’s clear that you don’t need an...

Continue reading