Why Gum Printing Still Matters in the UK /

Gum printing — or gum bichromate — is one of those processes that never quite behaves. It’s slow, messy, unpredictable, and absolutely beautiful. Pigments are brushed by hand, layers are built up one on top of another, and the final print often feels more like a painting than a photograph.

What strikes me is how differently the process is regarded in different parts of the world. In the US, there are more artists working with gum printing, and a stronger community around it. Here in the UK, though, it’s still relatively rare. That rarity is part of the reason I feel it matters so much: gum printing gives us something very different within the wider photographic landscape, something worth holding onto.

For me, the real joy lies in its unpredictability. No two prints are ever quite the same. Each one is a balance of control and chance, with the brush marks, pigments, and layers all leaving their own signature. It feels alive in a way other processes don’t.

Over the years I’ve found myself not only working with gum prints but also teaching them. There aren’t many opportunities to learn the process properly in the UK, and passing on that knowledge has become an important part of my practice. It’s not about producing perfect prints — it’s about exploring what the process can do, and what it can reveal.

So yes, gum printing may be a nineteenth-century invention, but for me it still feels urgent and full of potential. That’s why I keep returning to it, both in my own work and in my workshops.

If you’d like to see more, I’ve written about my approach and share examples on my Gum Printing page.