A tintype is easy to identify since it is metal, a thin sheet of black jappaned iron, coated with a collodion wet plate emulsion. The resulting image is a reversed positive one.
Another factor in the tintype's popularity was the development of the multi-lens camera, which could take multiple images on a single metal sheet. After being processed the sheet was cut apart leaving pictures of 2.5 x 3.5 inches usually. However, it was also possible to make very tiny portraits for buttons, campaign pins, etc., with 36 images on a 5 x 7 metal sheet.
Early tintypes were often put in old daguerreotype or ambrotype cases, so it is often difficult to distinguish between cased ambrotypes and tintypes. The easiest way is the magnet test. However, most tintypes are not found in cases, but loose or in photo albums. Establishing a date can be difficult because of the long period in which they were made. If the image has a chocolate-brown tone to it, it dates after 1870. To be more precise, the viewer must look at other aspects of the tintype's image, such as the props and the fashions.
Tintypes can be cleaned with a mild soap solution and then rinsed with distilled water. Since a tintype is metal, it should be thoroughly dried with a hair dryer. Although durable, tintypes can show signs of wear and abuse, such as creases and scratches. Nothing can be done to restore the original image, but professional photographers can eliminate many of these problems through retouching, etc., and provide a very good copy. The best way to store tintypes is in polyethylene sleeves, similar to the ones used for negative storage. This will protect the image and allow easy viewing.
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