BACKGROUND (Fr., Fond ; Ger., Hinter grund) A term commonly applied to the painted sheets or screens used in studio portraiture ; but actually the scenery, or anything else, whether these. It is a common fact that many portraits are spoilt by ugly and unsuitable backgrounds, but it is possible to take out these and print-in more suitable ones.
The printing-in of backgrounds is easier with print-out papers than with development papers, such as bromide and carbon, where the progress of printing cannot be seen. The simplest method is first to block out the background on the original negative with an opaque mixture, going care fully round the outline of the figure with a finely pointed camel-hair pencil charged with the pig ment, which may be red water-colour. The broad expanse of background may be gone over with the pigment on the film side of the negative ; natural or artificial, behind the sitter or object.
Studio backgrounds are of many kinds, to suit different purposes and tastes ; as, for example, vignette, full-length, interior, exterior, plain, graduated, and cloud backgrounds. They are usually painted in oil or distemper on canvas or stout paper, and are either attached to rollers or stretched tightly on a wooden frame having supporting feet. Backgrounds on rollers may be hung on brackets like blinds, as shown at A, with or without a spring roller, a pulley and cord being provided for raising and lowering. In another system B the background is fastened at the top to a horizontal lath, and is made to roll up or down from the bottom by cords passing through staples C, or over pulleys, on the same principle as theatre curtains are made to work.