10 Second ROLLAPRINT Print Process

[HoneyB]

I was going through my grandfathers old camera gear and found a Rollaprint setup with chemicals and 300 sheets of paper. The bulb isn't working and I can't seem to find any replacements. Does anyone have any experience with them? I wonder if it's worth it to keep looking.

 

[cmacd123]

are the chemicals "Activator" and "Stabilizer"?

 

[HoneyB]

Yeah, they are.

 

[cmacd123]

ye, old stabilization Process, well loved in newspaper ddarkrooms in the day. The paper had developing agents in the emulsion, and the activator was an alkaline solution that let them develop an image, the stabilizer then stopped development and the image would last a week or three - maybe even a year.

for the news folks this was great as they could have an almost instant print that the engraving folks could use to put the picture in the paper. if they prints were to be kept, they were fixed and washed on a slow day.

Spiratone - for one sold units for regular darkroom use. The Kodak version was ektaflow or something like that.

 

[AgX]

Spiratone - for one sold units for regular darkroom use. The Kodak version was Ektaflow or something like that.

Agfa had the Rapidoprint system.

 

[cmacd123]

Agfa had the Rapidoprint system.

I think most of the manufacturers made them in the day. And the technology was probably not all that far from a wet process office copier before Xerox.

some photographers liked them for proofs as if the proof was not returned, it would fade. others liked the speed and has a fixing session every few days for the prints that were good enough to keep.

 

[AgX]

Yes, they all worked similar: rapid-access films/papers and a dedicated processor. Aimed at the graphic industry.

 

[Ian Grant]

I was given an Ilffoprint machine when out two local newspapers amalgamated, I discovered taht earlt Ilfospeed worked percectly with it and formulated my own activator, I used fixer rather than stabiliser, then when Ilford upgraded Ilfospeed they removed the incorporated developer. I did try the Ilfoprint Activator but it wasn't optimised for Ilfospeed. Ilford never mentioned that Ilfospeed could be processed this way they wanted to sell their new Ilfospeed processors.

I used quite a bit of Agfa Rapidoprint while at University in the early 1970's, there was a cabinet full of it in one of the student darkrooms, it had been left from its former use, great as it developer so fast in any developer.

Ian

 

[cmacd123]

I was given an Ilffoprint machine when out two local newspapers amalgamated, I discovered taht earlt Ilfospeed worked percectly with it and formulated my own activator, I used fixer rather than stabiliser, Ilford never mentioned that Ilfospeed could be processed this way they wanted to sell their new Ilfospeed processors.

Ilford had a demonstaion for camera dealers during the short time I worked in the industry, at the time Ilfospeed came out.

they actually had a portable "darkroom" made out of tinted plexiglass so they could demonstrate the "New" process in an exhibit hall. (the plexiglass acting as a safelight) the selling point for Ilfospeed was that with their new machine, one could have finished, Glossy, prints in about the time that one formerly could get damp stabilization prints. the included developer was no doubt added to make sure that the process would work.

The folks givng the demonsration actually made a batch of prints, and ran them trough the machine so they could give everyone who was watching a print, to show that the process gave good blacks, good contrast, and a nice gloss. they had what was probably a very carefully made image of a professional model bringing a ripe strawberry to her mouth. I found the sample print in one of my files of literature about 30 years later and indeed, the print was still UN-faded and unstained.

I would guess that the ilford stabilization process was discontinued, and the customers who had one of the processors were told they should switch to using Illfospeed paper.

 

[Ian Grant]

I would guess that the ilford stabilization process was discontinued, and the customers who had one of the processors were told they should switch to using Illfospeed paper.

Ilfoprint paper and the chemistry continued for quite a few years alongside Ilfospeed so there wasn't a sudden switch, I remember talking to Ilford about it on a factory visit over lunch in the early 80's.

Ian

 

[Mota]

I was going through my grandfathers old camera gear and found a Rollaprint setup with chemicals and 300 sheets of paper. The bulb isn't working and I can't seem to find any replacements. Does anyone have any experience with them? I wonder if it's worth it to keep looking.

Hi, I'm looking for photo paper with incorporated developer and also activator and stabilizer solution for my study. As I want to know more about the preservation of such papers. Would you possibly sell some? And if so, what would you have?