Developing prints from 120 transparency film

[Njclarke]

Hi,

Recently started experimenting with the whole lomography thing and got myself a Diana+ took a load of photos with the aim of making prints before realising that i'd been using transparency film by mistake.

I'm a bit of a darkroom novice with only a bit of experience of developing B+W film a couple of years back so I've really got very little idea how i can make prints from a transparency film ( that and i've never developed colour film or 120mm before but im sure theres a tutorial for that somewhere) should be able to infiltrate my Uni's darkrooms to develop them myself but any advice on how to sort these photos out?

 

[E76]

Unfortunately, if you're looking to make prints directly from transparencies your only option is Ilfochrome, which is quite expensive. Expect to pay several dollars per sheet and $90 for 2 liters of chemistry!

You could, however, make internegatives from the transparencies, and I believe special films were made for this purpose at one time. I'm not sure how well the process would work with ordinary color negative film, but I'm sure people have tried it.

(Also, 120 film is not 120mm wide, it's closer to 63mm )

 

[Anon Ymous]

Eh, send your film to a lab, have it developed and pick the shots you want to be printed. Let them do the printing. That's nothing you can easily/cheaply do I'm afraid.

 

[Ian Grant]

Get your prints done at a decent minilab, that handles 120 film. Ilfochromes are to expensive for what your after.

Ian

 

[nickandre]

Well, being that you're doing lomography there is a process where you can print slides onto the negative paper if you reversal process it. It's interesting. I haven't had much luck with it but I was using the wrong kind of paper and hoping for beautiful results. That might work for you. You first process the paper in B+W print developer for the normal B+W time and then you stop it and wash it. You then turn the lights on and drop it into the color developer until it has developed completely. This is followed by the bleach fix and wash.

You could also make internegatives from the transparencies as suggested by E76. There might be labs that do this for you. There was a thread here a few days back which talked about the internegative process these days. The process uses one of the portra 160 films and involves a development of 3 minutes instead of 3:15 as is the typical time. Do a google search.

You would save money by processing film yourself too It's pretty easy compared to what most people think. Start with (there was a url link here which no longer exists) (the negative process.) RA4 is listed (there was a url link here which no longer exists).

 

[Windscale]

I think most labs would scan your slide and do inkjet prints afterwards. Prices for the scanning will be directly proportional to the quality (size) of the file. Traditional methods of enlargements are almost dead if not already died.

 

[JBrunner]

There really is nothing better than a ciba (Ilfochrome) for slide printing. I would recommend that if you ever have a slide you just love to bite the bullet. Elevator is one lab that still prints this way, and there are still a few, more than you think.

Color printing has a learning curve and is a bit more exact and involved than B&W, but doable for a determined person. Those who are accomplished will say it's not all that hard, and those that are learning will say it's difficult.

That aside, you can have any competent pro lab make a C-print on real Kodak or Fuji photographic paper, it doesn't have to be ink, but it will be a hybrid process. You can learn about the ins and outs at APUGs sister site Hybridphoto.com

 

[Neal]

Dear NJclarke,

Start with color negative film if you want to print optically. Search the site using RA-4 tray processing as keywords. It's much cheaper to learn to color balance with the RA-4 process than with Ilfochrome.

Neal Wydra

 

[PHOTOTONE]

RA-4 paper is cheaper than comparable sized b/w paper by a long shot..due to volume manufacture. You would be much better served to go shoot some more images on color negative film and learn to print on RA-4. You can develop (in darkness) the paper in trays at room temperature. PE has posted about this many times.
The process cycle for RA-4 paper is much shorter than b/w paper.

 

[jscha]

Sorry to be so late, but the easiest (and likely the intent of Lomo/Holga) was to have the film cross-processed (gives some strange colors, high contrast) and then you get negatives. Just bring it to your local lab and ask for cross-processing or C-41 if you want ;-) and have then prints made.....was a quite popular thing some time ago to use either Tungsten or expired slide-film for C-41 processing.....

 

[StorminMatt]

I think most labs would scan your slide and do inkjet prints afterwards. Prices for the scanning will be directly proportional to the quality (size) of the file. Traditional methods of enlargements are almost dead if not already died.

Everything said here is true. Virtually NO lab does optical prints anymore - most everyone scans and prints, whether you shoot negatives or transparencies. So, at the end of the day, it matters little whether you shot transparencies or negatives. About the only way you are going to get true, optical prints from negatives is to DIY. But if this is someplace you don't want to go, then there is nothing wrong with shooting transparency film. Besides, negatives just don't look good on a light table.

 

[scottmj]

Like J says, there is no better alternative way of printing from transparencies than "ILfochrome"! If you can DIY great welcome to the club. If not you should really have it done at least once, you'll see what all the love is about with an Ilfochrome print when its in your hand. Will be love at first sight. Traditional methods of Wet Darkroom are out there, they and film process are not dying.
Scott