A small photobooth glossary

Booth, Photomaton and automatic portrait

A photobooth is a self-service portrait setup, usually with an enclosure or defined camera position. Photomaton is a historically significant name connected to Josepho’s machines and businesses; it should not be assumed to identify every automatic camera. An automatic portrait describes how a picture is captured, not necessarily how it is processed.

Evidence: Primary patent

Strip and contact sheet

A photo strip arranges several pictures along a narrow shape. A photographic contact sheet traditionally displays negatives printed in contact with paper; digital apps also use the term for a grid layout. The shape of a file cannot prove a chemical process. Flashroom’s contact sheet is a digital two-by-two arrangement.

Purikura and four-cut

Purikura refers to Japan’s photo-sticker tradition associated with Print Club. Korean four-cut describes a contemporary strip-based self-photo experience. They share social uses, but sticker sheets, editing and frame selection vary by machine. Treat these as cultural and product terms, rather than identical technical standards.

Evidence: Manufacturer history · Attributed firsthand report

Analogue, digital, grain and instant

Analogue generally points to a photographic material and physical image-making process; digital capture records a file. Grain can describe a photographic material’s visual structure or a simulated effect, so say which you mean. Instant describes quick access to a picture, while instant-film photography is a particular medium. A modern printer delivering a file on paper does not become instant film merely because the print appears quickly.