In carbro printing a pigment tissue similar to that used in Carbon printing is brought in contact with a bromide print. The gelatin in the pigment tissue loses its solubility through the chemical reaction between the sensitizer on the pigment tissue and the silver in the bromide print. The tissue is then transferred to the final support and developed in the same manner as a carbon print.

The advantages of a carbro print is that the pigment tissue is never sensitive to light and a UV light source in not necessary since the bromide print is made using traditional silver-gelatin methods.

Most bromide prints made today are coated with a hard surface to protect the fragile gelatin underneath. It is not possible to use these papers in carbro printing. Common unsupercoated papers currently available are: Kodak Polycontrast Rapid RC matte surface, Luminos RD Matte Bromide, Agfa Portriga Rapid No. 118, SupreBrome Royal Portrait Matte Paper, Ilfobrome Semi-Matte paper.