The tintype is a wet-plate process that produces a direct positive on a metal or glass plate.

A plate coated with a thin layer of collodion that contains a halide is made light-sensitive when it is soaked in silver nitrate. There is no negative involved; one exposure creates one tintype.

The tintype played a large part in defining and shaping American identity. For many, the tintype was the first photograph they could access and afford. It was often among their most prized possessions.