Can I use imagesetting film in a regular camera?

travismc · Dec 9, 2005

Hi,

There's a guy selling three long rolls of 16" Kodak Pagi-set imagesetting film nearby me and I'm very curious if anyone knows whether I can use it in a regular camera or not. Has anyone here ever tried it? I'm curious to try it in a pinhole camera.

The details are:
Kodak Professional
Pagi-set Film LD
CAT 193 1153
SP 820J

Apparently this is "Red Laser Diode Film". I found one datasheet from Kodak that said to use a cyan safelight filter. That was intriguing since it suggests it is less sensitive to blue light?

On the other hand the box says "Only open in complete darkness". Also, apparently you need to handle it in an antistatic environement or little starbursts will appear in the image.

If anyone has tried this film or film like it and understands how this film used I would greatly appreciate any info on how to determine ISO and how to process.

This is my first post here so please let me know if you know of a more appropriate forum.

Best Regards,
Travis McCauley
Toronto, ON

travismc · Dec 9, 2005

Oh, one more thing, the one data sheet I found from Kodak also said:

SPECTRAL LIMIT 483-518 NANOMETERS

What does that mean?

-Travis

Nick Zentena · Dec 9, 2005

It means the film needs light in that range. You'd have to look it up but I think that's green.

I thought about doing this for IR film last year but got sidetracked. You need to check how the film is developed. I think some needs special processing. IIRC it's high contrast so you'll need to tame that.

Can he get IR? That would be much more interesting I think.

glbeas · Dec 9, 2005

This may need something like Technidol developer, for the same reasons Tech Pan needed it.

lee · Dec 10, 2005

this is gonna be a very very high contrast film. It is probably blind to green and you can use that as a safe light. Normal red will expose it. That is why it uses a red light laser to expose it. for me it is not worth using it for anything but in an imagesetter

lee\c

Mark Layne · Dec 10, 2005

The reason it's probably available is that imagesetters are now Dodo birds.
Printing presses today go straight from computer file to metal plate, no film required.
Mark

lee · Dec 10, 2005

Mark this is not a true statement. While there certainly are direct to press and direct to plate setters they are still not the main stay your statement indicates. In fact in the next few weeks I will be installing an imagesetter in a print shop that will use film exclusively. The costs of the machine for the smaller shops is still out of reach for most. The way pre-press goes seems like every several years the buzz words change. Several years ago, it was direct to press then it was no this is the best way and was metal plates direct then it was back to film which is still the best way for the sharpest and best lpi and dpi IMO.

lee\c

gainer · Dec 10, 2005

lee said:
this is gonna be a very very high contrast film. It is probably blind to green and you can use that as a safe light. Normal red will expose it. That is why it uses a red light laser to expose it. for me it is not worth using it for anything but in an imagesetter

lee\c

It is also possible that it is no more blind to cyan than Tri-X. The reason for cyan "safelights" is that human vision peaks in that region, so less light is needed for viewing. For viewing pan film, you need the narrowest spectrum of viewing light at the most sensitive wavelength of the human, or even the photographer's, eye.

lee · Dec 10, 2005

hi Patrick,

what you say is true but with this film was built to be exposed by a visible red laser. If you use a red light in the dark it will expose it. It is not a Pan film either. This film is used for line work or 1/2 tone work in the printing industry.

lee\c

Mark Layne · Dec 10, 2005

lee said:
Mark this is not a true statement. While there certainly are direct to press and direct to plate setters they are still not the main stay your statement indicates. In fact in the next few weeks I will be installing an imagesetter in a print shop that will use film exclusively. The costs of the machine for the smaller shops is still out of reach for most. The way pre-press goes seems like every several years the buzz words change. Several years ago, it was direct to press then it was no this is the best way and was metal plates direct then it was back to film which is still the best way for the sharpest and best lpi and dpi IMO.

lee\c

Lee
Maybe not in your area, but there is only one printer in this city I know of that still uses film. The last remaining film house tells me that if their last imagesetter goes down that's it for them.
I am retired from ink printing into foil stamping and embossing. My engraver still needs film and it is becoming a problem.
Mark

lee · Dec 10, 2005

maybe true in Nova Scotia not in Texas as you say

if your friend is looking for imagesetter film have him call Graphline Corp in Florida.

they also sell sheet film for graphic arts

they are still trying to recover from the last hurricane but if he calls 1-800-998-3200 he will get a way to contact the supply people.

lee\c

Gerald Koch · Dec 12, 2005

Cyan is the compliment of red. This film is only sensitive to red light which is why a cyan safelight can be used. This film is worthless for other than its intended use.

lee · Dec 12, 2005

that is what i was trying to say. Thanks for saying Gerold that I tend to get verbose sometimes.
lee\c

cao · Dec 12, 2005

Gerald Koch said:
This film is worthless for other than its intended use.

Please explain this. Will it not record an image when used in a conventional camera? Will it not respond to a conventional development process? I grant that it might not produce a conventional photographic image, but perhaps what it produces might be interesting or useful to some. Some people might consider e6/c41 cross-processing "worthless" as well, but thankfully, others ignore that advice. The limits of one's taste are not the same as the limits of possibility.

lee · Dec 12, 2005

this is a very very high contrast film it is used in the pre press industry for making line or 1/2 tone negs. You can use it if you want. It is also very fast as it is generally exposed by a laser in the visible red spectrum.

lee\c

Can I use imagesetting film in a regular camera?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency