Orthochromasia

In chemistry, orthochromasia is the property of a dye or stain to not change color on binding to a target, as opposed to metachromatic stains, which do change color. The word is derived from the Greek orthos (correct, upright), and chromatic (color). Toluidine blue is an example of a partially orthochromatic dye, as it stains nucleic acids by its orthochromatic color (blue), but stains mast cell granules in its metachromatic color (red).

In spectral terms, orthochromasia refers to maintaining the position of spectral peaks, while metachromasia refers to a shift in wavelength, becoming either shorter or longer.

In photography, an orthochromatic light spectrum is one devoid of red light.

Orthochromatic photography

Orthochromatic photography refers to a photographic emulsion that is sensitive to blue and green light but not red light. This type of emulsion was a significant advancement in early photography, as it allowed for the production of images with more accurate tonal reproduction than the earlier emulsions that were sensitive only to blue (and ultraviolet) light, e.g., the wet plate collodion emulsions.

The development of orthochromatic films can be traced back to the work of Hermann Wilhelm Vogel in 1873. Vogel experimented with adding small amounts of certain aniline-based dyes to photographic emulsions to extend their sensitivity beyond blue light. This breakthrough allowed for the production of emulsions that could capture a broader spectrum of colors and tones including Josef Maria Eder, who introduced the use of the red dye erythrosine in 1884.