Gum arabic is a water-soluble natural gum obtained from the Acacia tree. In photography, it is used as a coating or binder in a variety of traditional photographic processes, helping to suspend light-sensitive materials evenly on paper or other surfaces.
Its use in alternative photographic techniques, such as gum bichromate printing, allows photographers to control texture, colour, and tonal depth. Understanding gum arabic is essential for those working with hand-coated or historical photographic processes to achieve consistent and high-quality results.