New to color photography (alternatives to dye transfer?)

[Pavel Stupin]

Hi all, after a couple of years of b&w experience I'd like to try myself at color photography, but I'm really ignorant of the media and its potential. Actually, I'm interested in being able to treat each color separately and to have control over the way they print out. Will I be able to achieve this using the standard RA-4 process? I suspect dye transfer is one way to proceed but still seeking advice on whether any viable alternative is available.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

I would suggest RA process. Dye transfer is pretty much dead since Kodak has stopped making the matrix films required to do dye transfer prints.

 

[fotch]

Hi Pavel, welcome to APUG.

 

[thisismyname09]

I've been looking for something similar as I'm not really happy with any of the RA-4 prints I've made. One alternative would be 3 color carbon prints. I've also been wondering about the idea of making color prints with a kodachrome-like process in which the dye couplers are added during or before developing.

Also, I think I recall someone in one of the emulsion making threads saying something about making matrix film themselves, but I don't really know anything besides that.

 

[holmburgers]

If you want the skinny on dye-transfer, check out the Yahoo! group, it's where all the big-wigs are. (Jim Browning, Ctein, etc.). Jim Browning has given complete directions for making your own matrix film and that can be easily found online (but not easily done). However, I don't think he's done a production run recently, nor does he plan to in the future.

Unfortunately it is a "mostly dead" process, though it is feasible if you're dedicated and have the means. However, it is impractical at this point. I believe carbon is equally obscure, and much more dificult from what I understand.

Three-color photogravure is another option, though I'm not sure if it has the same look as a DT or carbon print, perhaps others can comment on it's print quality (does it look like a print for a book, or can it resemble a photographic print?). There's also carbro, which I believe is similar to tri-color carbon. Check out Nickolas Muray's prints.

And then also there's tri-color gum printing, but it's not comparable to these other methods in terms of it's "look". Much more impressionistic, arts-and-craftsy looking IMO. But I'm no authority on the topic, so IDK...

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

It's probably the paper, not the RA chemistry

I've been looking for something similar as I'm not really happy with any of the RA-4 prints I've made. One alternative would be 3 color carbon prints. I've also been wondering about the idea of making color prints with a kodachrome-like process in which the dye couplers are added during or before developing.

Also, I think I recall someone in one of the emulsion making threads saying something about making matrix film themselves, but I don't really know anything besides that.

When I printed the OLD EP2 process, Kodak had an ugly creamy base, but I found Oriental paper and it was beautiful stuff. So try another paper.

 

[thisismyname09]

When I printed the OLD EP2 process, Kodak had an ugly creamy base, but I found Oriental paper and it was beautiful stuff. So try another paper.

Actually, I tried two different kodak papers and fuji crystal archive. I think I'm either just too picky or I'm doing something wrong.

 

[AgX]

I would suggest RA process. Dye transfer is pretty much dead since Kodak has stopped making the matrix films required to do dye transfer prints.

There are several companies involved in making materials for this imbibition process and processing is commercially offered.

 

[Pavel Stupin]

Thank you everyone who responded here in this thread as well as in private! Very informative as is always the case with APUG!

After pondering a bit I've decided to direct my steps toward color photogravure (thank you, holmburgers, for your suggestion!). I've found two excellent sources to assist me: "Intaglio Simultaneous Color Printmaking: Significance of Materials and Processes" by N. Krishna Reddy and, of course, "Copper Plate Photogravure: Demystifying the Process" by David Morrish and Marlene MacCallum.

Gum-printing also seems to be interesting, however I somewhat dislike the look of the works (and the color themselves) I've seen so far (maybe I've just missed those that are worth seeing).

 

[holmburgers]

Here's a pretty good example of the tri-color gum, in my opinion. http://www.flickr.com/photos/hansbazar/3065718313/in/faves-ceholmburgers/

There are some people on APUG that do really good work with this as well. But I agree, the colors and look are not really comparable to the more "display" (for lack of a better term) oriented printing processes.