The use of such pads was very common in the 19th-century, but so little contact printing is done today that most people are unaware of their benefits. When printing from 8x10 or larger film negatives, pads are indispensable, especially with the poor quality printing frames available at the present time. Sadly, the printing frames available from photographic dealers today fall far short of those made in years past that were intended for tugged professional use. It is still possible to find older printing frames made of beautifully finished hardwoods at antique stores or flea markets, or even from dealers in antique photographica, but the larger sizes of these are scarce. The older frames are a joy to use and are often less costly than their painted plywood descendants.
Many older frames have a counter device on the back.
With many frames and negatives in use at one time it was a handy accounting system for the quantity of prints made from each negative. Paper Paper suitable for albumen and salted paper printing must be of the highest standards of purity. Prior to the 1920's the only way to produce a pure cellulose paper was to make it from cotton or linen rags, since the fibers of these plants are composed of cellulose in a pure form. Papers made from other plant materials, such as wood pulp, straw, or hemp, contained impurities that reacted with chemicals in sensitized coatings and speedily led to the destruction of the image. Even in the absence of a sensitized coating, impurities in such papers eventually converted to acids, which would cause yellowing and brittleness.