It sounds like what you have found is old-fashioned photo paper proofs, a material that is no longer used, so far as I know. You can tell if they are paper copies as they will be as flexible as any photographic print. Also, proofs were sepia toned. A tintype is actually on a metal base, and is not flexible like paper. Now, the old proof paper is very sensitive to light, and if you scan them, probably you will ruin them, and not get a usable scan either. My advice is do not scan them. John Subject: Scanning photos Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 01:03:34 +0200 From: "The Leary's" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] I heard that it is relatively safe to scan a tin type photo as long as it's not done many times. I was about to scan what I though was a tin type photo, but the card it is enclosed in says "unretouched proofs...do not open in bright light". Am I wrong to think these are tin types? Should I not try it?