This article is a discussion of stability problems of early photographic materials. It is built around a generic print structure: image-forming substance, binder, support, case/packaging/secondary support, and interactions of all elements. Of image-forming substances, silver is the most common, although platinum was also used. Image binders include gelatin, albumen, and collodion. Supports include paper, glass, and film. Packaging material included things like cartes de visite. Interactions may create instability, even when the components individually are stable. The generic components approach advocated by the author is illustrated with an analysis of tintypes, also known as ferrotypes. The approach advocated here is useful because it tends to identify common themes in apparently different photographic materials.