Agfacolor-neu Research/DIY

Hello,

I have always been curious about making film at home. I understand color film is a engineering marvel and is extremely difficult to manufacture. However I wonder if this holds just for “modern” color films.

I read that Agfa released their research on their film Agfacolor-neu after WWII here and was wondering if anyone could point me into the direction of that research. Additionally I was wondering if anyone had input on the feasibility of producing a super primitive integral-tripack film. Has anyone done it successfully?

- Josh

Joshua Reisbord said:

However I wonder if this holds just for “modern” color films.

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No, but more so than very old emulsions.

Joshua Reisbord said:

the feasibility of producing a super primitive integral-tripack film

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Are you prepared to dedicate a couple of years full time to the effort? I guesstimate that this will be a good start. It's not something you'll manage by spending a couple of Sunday afternoons on it.

Here is a link to a guy who was making Autochromes (I know not tripack film) if this is any help.

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/autochromes.11665/page-16#post-2461388

koraks said:

Are you prepared to dedicate a couple of years full time to the effort? I guesstimate that this will be a good start. It's not something you'll manage by spending a couple of Sunday afternoons on it.

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I very roughly estimate $10M and 18 months, if the facilities are already secured and a supplier of subbed webbing exists, for a moderate volume line to make large format sheet film. About 3/4 of the way through, funds would run low and the effort would need to re-baseline. Losses recouped in ~5 years assuming current film trends continue.

I admire your gumption! I think plates would be easier. You might try just coating a film with gelatin and a bit of food coloring just to see how the coating goes. Maybe find part of a junk bulk roll of 35mm, get some really hot water and try to remove the original emulsion, use the stripped film as a base.
First hurdle is coating gelatin onto an acetate base, cooling and drying in safelight. If you get this down you can coat with an ordinary AgX blue sensitive emulsion.

This would get you to step 12 of 500 (SWAG).