analog printing slides

[rowghani]

Will do. Im already giddy at the possibility that its still available.

 

[DREW WILEY]

The problem is matrix film. The people still having it made are doing so only for their own commercial use. But if enough people get interested in dye transfer again, it would be possible to have a fresh run of the film. The paper can be mordanted in the darkroom, though again, what is being actually manufactured again for this purpose is not available for sale. Dyes can be readily obtained. Masking and separation negatives can be done totally in the darkroom using currently available films, though some people have opted to scan and digitize these preliminary steps. Several individuals have set up websites releasing traditional information. Jim Browning's site is probably the best in terms of hints for using currently available supplies. It's an intensive process when you need to reinvent everything yourself. I've pretty much pegged the darkroom procedures for separations and masks etc, as well as a protocol for an updated version of wash-off relief processing, which seems more practical for me than Kodak's rushed version of hardening development. But no time yet to really get beyond the basics. That will have to await retirement. But this process appeals to me not only because of its beauty, but due to the distinctly tactile aspect of the craft.

 

[allenying]

dye transfer seems so complex, even when it was available, no?

 

[bvy]

dye transfer seems so complex, even when it was available, no?

I was overwhelmed just reading about it. And, as such things go, so was I overwhelmed when I saw some of these prints in person.

 

[Photo Engineer]

The prints are awesome. If you can, try to get or see one of Jim's prints. He has sold some I understand so try contacting him.

PE

 

[DREW WILEY]

Overwhelmed? It's all relative. Somewhere I've got an old Kodak Dye Transfer marketing brochure, describing how easy the process is in a
home darkroom. Well, back then it was, compared to color Carbro! Meantime, color neg printing came along, but didn't fill the same quality
niche, especially for printing chromes. So Cibachrome arrives, and by doing some simple masking steps you could achieve stunning results. Now people look back on that an scratch their heads at how anyone could endure a few extra hours of work to make a decent printing mask. Let's face it, life is so much better now that we call all sit days on end tethered the high-fructose corn syrup IV's, eating pork rinds, and endless tinkering in Fauxtoshop trying to get results that somehow mimic real chemical prints. Gosh, even the terminology, like "Unsharp Masking" tries to mimic something else. I suspect it takes just as much time and work and money to make a really good digital
print as it does in the darkroom. I just prefer the more tactile aspect of the darkroom. And not only are some people still making dye transfer prints, but even far more laborious color carbon prints. I even heard of one guy making color vectographs. Do what you enjoy.

 

[rowghani]

Not to mention that as an artist analog can have a far greater degree of satisfaction associated with your work and I'm finding that luckely viewers seem to appreciate it also.