How do you tell if a photo is a Cibachrome?

[timbo10ca]

Do you go be the gloss and vividness (is that a word?)? If you determine it is a Ciba, then how do you know if it's from a wet darkroom or off a laser printer?

Tim

 

[nuckabean]

One indicator is that unless it is a borderless print, the borders will be black.

 

[Photo Engineer]

The support is a plastic material unlike any other print material currently in existance. It is not FB paper or RC.

PE

 

[Barry S]

I find that Cibachromes/Ilfochromes have a distinctive iridescent/metallic look

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

The support is a plastic material unlike any other print material currently in existance. It is not FB paper or RC.

PE

Mylar polyester base. Note that often it's not entirely surface-perfect straight off the roll (surface imperfections are common); not a problem for big labs running high volumes. I will not print anything other than to Cibas. Coming off a well-exposed Velvia tranny, the depth of colour and sheer brilliance packs in the "Oh—!" factor. And only Cibas cost serious cash relative to their quality and longevity. More info: Dead Link Removed

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

One indicator is that unless it is a borderless print, the borders will be black.

Borders can be specified (optional; Ciba prints can be specified with a deep lower edge border for embossing by the lab, or information added by the photographer etc.) but usually are specified (or done by default) for ease in matting then framing. Cibas are sensitive to finger prints, creases, scratches, saliva droplets (from speaking close to the print) etc. and borders are just one item I consider essential for everybody involved in post-production i.e. photographer, studio assistant, clients, frameshop etc. I have a concrete rule in the studio that all Cibas are viewed with cotton gloves: me, assistant, client(s)... the lot. Generally we minimise handling of the raw print and get it to the frame shop for matting (9-ply rag mat, imported from UK) and wrapping; framing comes later, as specified by client or myself.

 

[JBrunner]

After you've seen a few good ones, you can spot them pretty easily, just by how they look. Deeper colors, better, richer. Saturation that doesn't look like it's fake even when it isn't true to life..

 

[2F/2F]

The main thing that will easily identify one is that they are much heavier than an RA print. They are not on paper, but on plastic. Aside from that, they just simply look totally different than RA as far as contrast and color.

As far as I know, labs want SRGB color space to print via laser, so the color will be different than a 100% analog print, for one thing.

A and I no longer does this via laser. Does anyone know who does?

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Do you go be the gloss and vividness (is that a word?)? If you determine it is a Ciba, then how do you know if it's from a wet darkroom or off a laser printer?

Tim

A print from a laser printer is just bloody lousy!! You'll see the dots; no dots on a Ciba!

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Just a minor point. It's been more than ten years since they were called "Cibachromes". Now they are "Ilfochromes".

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Just a minor point. It's been more than ten years since they were called "Cibachromes". Now they are "Ilfochromes".

True dinks, Kevin, but generically "Cibas" is fine by me. I've yet to hear somebody refer to them as "Ilfos" or something similar.

 

[2F/2F]

I just dumped about 25 liters of P-30 chemicals at a hazardous waste site. They were labeled as Ilford Cibachrome, so that must have been an early packaging of some sort after Ciba was bought by Ilford. I hated to dump the chems, but they were taking up a lot of space in my storage room, the bleach was beginning to clump up and/or liquefy and burn through the metal-lined pouches, and I was missing one of the parts to the developer in almost all of the batches. I still have a crapload of old paper in my freezer as well. When I get Ilfochrome going again at home, I think its only use will be "alternative" processes, due to age.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

I just dumped about 25 liters of P-30 chemicals at a hazardous waste site. They were labeled as Ilford Cibachrome, so that must have been an early packaging of some sort after Ciba was bought by Ilford. I hated to dump the chems, but they were taking up a lot of space in my storage room, the bleach was beginning to clump up and/or liquefy and burn through the metal-lined pouches, and I was missing one of the parts to the developer in almost all of the batches. I still have a crapload of old paper in my freezer as well. When I get Ilfochrome going again at home, I think its only use will be "alternative" processes, due to age.

Yikes!! "...beginning to liquify and burn through the metal-lined pouches...". Imagine what this stuff will do to the environment. How, prey tell, do the "hazardous waste" sites actually mitigate this stuff?? I might even ask my Ciba printer what happens to their waste (the print lab is situated in a normal suburban street, not an industrial area).

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

I just dumped about 25 liters of P-30 chemicals at a hazardous waste site. They were labeled as Ilford Cibachrome, so that must have been an early packaging of some sort after Ciba was bought by Ilford. I hated to dump the chems, but they were taking up a lot of space in my storage room, the bleach was beginning to clump up and/or liquefy and burn through the metal-lined pouches, and I was missing one of the parts to the developer in almost all of the batches. I still have a crapload of old paper in my freezer as well. When I get Ilfochrome going again at home, I think its only use will be "alternative" processes, due to age.

What's age got to do with it...?

 

[Ektagraphic]

Are any of you guys out there willing to print cibas for me for less than $40?? I am only a student and I can't really spend that on one print.....How much does it cost you to make an 8x10?

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Are any of you guys out there willing to print cibas for me for less than $40?? I am only a student and I can't really spend that on one print.....How much does it cost you to make an 8x10?

It costs roughly $5 USD to make a single 8 x 10 print. That's if you get the exposure right first time. If you assume that you get a good indication of the exposure required from a first 8 x 10 sheet, then that's $10 USD.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Are any of you guys out there willing to print cibas for me for less than $40?? I am only a student and I can't really spend that on one print.....How much does it cost you to make an 8x10?

An 8x10 here in Australia is AUD$77 (!), by a pro lab. I imagine similar prices in the US. The most expensive is a 79x40 at AUD$786.
If you love your slides 'just so', strive for just one Ciba to do them justice. Just one. Even if you have to live on a boiled egg for 2 weeks. It wasn't easy in my students days, either (soup kitchen visits were the go!).

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

It costs roughly $5 USD to make a single 8 x 10 print. That's if you get the exposure right first time. If you assume that you get a good indication of the exposure required from a first 8 x 10 sheet, then that's $10 USD.

That's interesting. That's very interesting.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

True dinks, Kevin, but generically "Cibas" is fine by me. I've yet to hear somebody refer to them as "Ilfos" or something similar.

Yep, fair dinkum, Poisson. I too have heard more people refer to them as Cibas than anything else. When I started printing them 13 years ago, they were already "Ilfochromes". I just pointed it out in case any youngsters got confused.

 

[Photo Engineer]

The Ciba/Ilford bleach is effectively concentrated sulfuric acid at a pH of 1.0 or even less. It is very corrosive. It also contains several agents that increase the corrosion potential. When disposed of, use the neutralizer tablets supplied with the kit. Or, use an authorized disposal site.

PE

 

[Ektagraphic]

I just found a website of a lab that will make me an 8x10 for $14!!!! I just emailed them. I really hope they are still in buissness and they have low prices!

 

[Thanasis]

I find that Cibachromes/Ilfochromes have a distinctive iridescent/metallic look

This was the first thing that i noticed too. My first cibachromes were mounted on a 1mm aluminium sheet and i thought it was the metal shining through the print. The next set i did were unmounted an the same slightly metallic reflection was noticeable.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Sorry, I meant Poisson, not Galah.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

The Ciba/Ilford bleach is effectively concentrated sulfuric acid at a pH of 1.0 or even less. It is very corrosive. It also contains several agents that increase the corrosion potential. When disposed of, use the neutralizer tablets supplied with the kit. Or, use an authorized disposal site.

PE

Thanks for the info, PE, but the kits never used to contain neutraliser tablets, at least not here in Oz.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

This was the first thing that i noticed too. My first cibachromes were mounted on a 1mm aluminium sheet and i thought it was the metal shining through the print. The next set i did were unmounted an the same slightly metallic reflection was noticeable.

Yes, likewise here too. The only RA4 material I've seen which looks similar is Kodak Endura Metallic.