Ilfochrome Printing.

Ektagraphic · Mar 4, 2009

Hello-
I shoot many slides and I usually have them scanned and printed. I would like to start having them printed on Ilfochrome. I do not have/have acess to a darkroom ( I really wish I did ) so they will have to be done by a lab. Where is the best place to have them done. I was looking and it seemed like the going price for an 8X10 is $50!. I am a student and can't really afford $50 per print. Thanks

Ian Grant · Mar 4, 2009

Ilfochrome/Cibachrome has always been expensive unless you do your own, and it's still not cheap then. It's a premium lab service so there's not many places offering a cheap & cheerful service. You either pay the price or dupe the slides onto a C41 film & get prints that way, with a slight drop in quality.

However there is another option, most digital minilabs can make C41 prints from slides

Ian

Ektagraphic · Mar 4, 2009

I know I could go those routes but I would like to try the Ilfochrome.

Aurum · Mar 4, 2009

As Ian points out, it has always been quite an expensive, almost craft process even when more widely used, so 50 bucks a print is not unreasonable these days.

For the shot of your life that you captured on transparency, the results *are* worth it.

Just be selective about what you choose to print

nickandre · Mar 4, 2009

You need to make an internegative! Yay! or you can scan....

Shoot negative film if you want a darkroom print. Either that or pay the price. There is a way to make reversal prints on regular 25 cent RA4 paper. It works soso.

The idea is that a print you make on ilfochrome should be worth much more than $50. I would try it just for fun and awesomeness, but only really use it if you take good pictures.

Photo Engineer · Mar 4, 2009

You could try getting a dye transfer made. There are those still doing it and materials are still available. Jim Browning makes them from slides and Ctein makes them from negatives.

PE

domaz · Mar 4, 2009

If you make a lot of prints the setup cost of Ilfochrome could pay off fast. Prices change often but it's something like $5 a print if you got the chemicals and prints yourself. It's a big outlay in initial costs though, probably close to $300 to get started (assuming you have the color enlarger and equip. already).

2F/2F · Mar 4, 2009

Hi,

The last place I used was The Lab Ciba in Burbank, CA (http://www.lab-ciba.com/). Not sure if they are still there, but I was very happy with the 12 8x12 prints I got. I have also done some Ilfochrome printing at school and at home. It is not difficult if all is in order on your film. Thus, it is generally harder on 35mm than the more deliberate formats, as you usually don't take as much time to "perfect" the color, exposure, and development of each shot when shooting 35. The great thing about it is that you can really affect contrast with E-6 films more than you can with C-41 films, by placing tones and altering development. The time consuming part is the masking. I have only done contrast-reducing masks, but there are a bunch of other kinds of masks you can do.

There are some other labs in the U.S. that do it, but I thought I would mention my local guy.

nickandre · Mar 4, 2009

Photo Engineer said:
You could try getting a dye transfer made. There are those still doing it and materials are still available. Jim Browning makes them from slides and Ctein makes them from negatives.

PE

Just in case you want a cheaper option.

domaz said:
If you make a lot of prints the setup cost of Ilfochrome could pay off fast. Prices change often but it's something like $5 a print if you got the chemicals and prints yourself. It's a big outlay in initial costs though, probably close to $300 to get started (assuming you have the color enlarger and equip. already).

Ever tried contrast masking?

Ektagraphic · Mar 11, 2009

How much does a dye transfer cost? I have wanted to have one of those made too, but I thought Kodak discontinued the materials in the 1990's and there were now none left.

L Gebhardt · Mar 11, 2009

Ektagraphic said:
How much does a dye transfer cost? I have wanted to have one of those made too, but I thought Kodak discontinued the materials in the 1990's and there were now none left.

I think the starting price is over $1000 (but don't quote me on that) for one of the few people who still have the materials and skills. I know Ctein and Jim Browning still make them.

Dead Link Removed
http://ctein.com/

nickandre · Mar 13, 2009

I listened to an interview with Ctein on that. There are about 12 people doing it, some hobkobbleing materials on home coating machines (I read the instructions. Let's just say I'll wait a bit on that...) and some, like Ctein, who took second mortgages on their houses to stock giant freezers full of Kodak Pan Dye transfer film or whatever. The price is the same no matter the size from him, about $1500 for a print. He only makes them from negatives though, IIRC.

Seriously, take portra 160 VC overexpose it slightly in some duplicating setup and pull the development by 15 seconds. I'm meaning to try this myself as soon as I can get myself a 1:1 macro lens. Lots of kodachrome that needs real printing

My other idea was to enlarge to dupe film and display lit from behind. We'll see.

Poisson Du Jour · Mar 13, 2009

Ciba printing, a hallowed process dating back to 1963, isn't ever going to be cheap, whether to students or to active professionals in weekly printing (myself). My 8x12 prints are $68 + $40 set up fee. None of my colleagues do it themselves. Most prices globally are similar. Pro labs will have highly skilled printers specialising in solely Ciba prints (my own printers have between them 90 years' experience). Having said that, if you care about your transparencies and love what you have captured, image-wise with them, then you should earnestly try and print a few to the Ciba process. I was a student too, once (BA Arts, PGD Applied VA) and really, *really* stretched things to get Ciba prints done (at the time, of Kodachrome slides!), later Velvia (I didn't buy a car until 1990, until then getting around everywhere by touring bike, tram, bus or walking). Another more common example of my Ciba costing is 30x40cm costs $110 each with $40.00 set up (this is the contrast masking), but then matted and conservation framed sold for AUD$1200, so costs are recouped.

wiltw · Mar 13, 2009

Photo Engineer said:
You could try getting a dye transfer made. There are those still doing it and materials are still available. Jim Browning makes them from slides and Ctein makes them from negatives.

PE

Ctein is getting quite selective about printing with dye transfer, as the materials are very scarce now!

wiltw · Mar 13, 2009

Have done lots of Cibachrome prints in past years in my home darkroom. The trick now is finding supplies! If you have good process controls, you can make reprints with superb consistency...a photography group that I belong to would do an annual Holiday Exchange, and I would make dozens of Cibachrome prints for my contribution to the exchange. Not a difficult process, assuming you have good temperature control and use a processor like a Jobo.

Excalibur2 · Mar 15, 2009

wiltw said:
Have done lots of Cibachrome prints in past years in my home darkroom. The trick now is finding supplies! If you have good process controls, you can make reprints with superb consistency...a photography group that I belong to would do an annual Holiday Exchange, and I would make dozens of Cibachrome prints for my contribution to the exchange. Not a difficult process, assuming you have good temperature control and use a processor like a Jobo.

Agreed, it wasn't difficult, just more expensive.

My amateur effort many years ago, from either Kodachrome, Agfa or Perutz, can't be bothered to look thru my slides to find which one:-

Ilfochrome Printing.

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