Ilfochrome Back Printing

Stephen Frizza · Sep 21, 2010

With most people now having their Ilfochrome Prints on Polyester base instead of Paper and fewer and fewer people buying Ilfochrome with back printing I thought I would scan some of our back printed Ilfochrome to show what the back print looks like.

andrewkirkby · Sep 21, 2010

Can you get it on paper base?

Stephen Frizza · Sep 21, 2010

Yes. The minimum order I think is $42,000 euro. The product has a very different look to that of the Polyester base.

Steve Smith · Sep 21, 2010

I didn't realise there was a paper base available. I thought it was all Melinex.

Steve.

Stephen Frizza · Sep 21, 2010

well their minimum order means to the general punter it isn't available

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 21, 2010

That's interesting indeed. I have never before seen Ilfochrome prints with watermarked backs like that. So it's only on Ilford's paper-based Ilfochrome media and not on the traditional Melinex (poly' base) material? Explain "different look" in relation to the traditional media.

With a minimum indent of 42,000 I am not surprised few people print on it.

Stephen Frizza · Sep 21, 2010

The paper base Doesn't have the same light reflective properties and the colour gamut is slightly different. It just doesn't have the same punch as the poly materials. What I love about the paper stock is the thickness of the paper base its twice maybe almost 3 times as thick as any Ra-4 stocks Ive used. I think It's a beautiful material. though many who see it don't realize its Ilfochrome

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 21, 2010

I see.
Ilfochrome is oh-so-sexy.
But only if it is the poly with punch and pizzazz.

Ektagraphic · Sep 22, 2010

That's awesome! I too didn't know that a paper based Ilfochrome still existed! I wish black and white papers had a backprint too.

Anon Ymous · Sep 22, 2010

Ektagraphic said:
... I wish black and white papers had a backprint too.

Those who use paper negatives wouldn't be very pleased.

2F/2F · Sep 22, 2010

I wish color neg paper did not have the stuff on the back. The words make paper negs impossible without stripping the back layer off of the paper.

This Ilfochrome material is certainly something I'd like to try.

Renato Tonelli · Sep 22, 2010

Stephen - can you tell me how to use the replenishers (Dev, Fix, Bleach)? I use a Durst Printo (2.5 litres tanks). Thanks

Stephen Frizza · Sep 22, 2010

2F/2F said:
I wish color neg paper did not have the stuff on the back. The words make paper negs impossible without stripping the back layer off of the paper.

This Ilfochrome material is certainly something I'd like to try.

RA-4 paper is back printing optional, if you don't like the back printing don't buy it with back printing.

Stephen Frizza · Sep 22, 2010

Renato Tonelli said:
Stephen - can you tell me how to use the replenishers (Dev, Fix, Bleach)? I use a Durst Printo (2.5 litres tanks). Thanks

Im sorry I have never used a durst printo and have no idea how they work or what they look like, have you tried contacting durst?

Ektagraphic · Sep 22, 2010

The main reason that I would like back print is for more of a way to display to someone handling the photograph that it is certainly (for the most part) a film/darkroom based image.

Renato Tonelli · Sep 22, 2010

Stephen Frizza said:
Im sorry I have never used a durst printo and have no idea how they work or what they look like, have you tried contacting durst?

I didn't phrase the question correctly. Generally speaking, how do you use the Ilfochrome Replenishers with the exhausted chemistry: 20%, 50% of the total required volume? There are no instructions with the chemistry and trying to contact the Ilfochrome people seems to be a major undertaking.

Poisson Du Jour · Sep 22, 2010

If the print is matted and framed there is little benefit in having a watermarked back, as nobody will see it. Otherwise, there is nothing more satifying or moving than unwrapping an Ilfochrome in all its beauty irrespective of whether it has a watermarked back or not. It is the real McCoy in any form and needs no bells and whistles to assert itself.

I think some Ilford Galerie digital (giclée print) papers are watermarked, possibly the heavyweight silk fibre version.

Stephen Frizza · Sep 22, 2010

Renato Tonelli said:
I didn't phrase the question correctly. Generally speaking, how do you use the Ilfochrome Replenishers with the exhausted chemistry: 20%, 50% of the total required volume? There are no instructions with the chemistry and trying to contact the Ilfochrome people seems to be a major undertaking.

Which Ilfochrome chemistry are you using? 2.5 liter tanks? is this one shot soup?
are you wanting to set up a replenishment system and wondering how much rep you need for dev,bleach and fix per meter square?

If its of any use I use Ilford P3X turbo and the replenishment rates are as so.

Developer is 300ml rep per square meter
Bleach is 200ml rep per square meter
and Fixer is 300ml per square meter.

The machine I use holds minimum 50L working solution at any one time with 20 liter of rep on hand for both Dev, bleach and fix.

A very important note on replenishing Ilfochrome in high volumes is that if you run a lot of ilfochromes with black (unexposed areas) you will find your machine will drift offline as it will be replenishing when no activity is occurring etc...
Its a delicate see saw judging exactly how to replenish which is why we run control strips daily. Please see link below for a sample of a control strip

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Ilfochrome Back Printing

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