printing positives at home.

[game]

Thanks for that post! Still waiting for a reply from the manufacturer of my machine regarding my machine and cibachrome. I know ciba-machines are going away for a steal right now. but I have limited space, and no money, and no transport, and don't feel like aquiring more stuff anymore. That's simply not going to happen.
Best regards Sam

 

[Photo Engineer]

I make prints from slides either of 2 ways.

I make internegatives from the slides using Portra VC film with a slight pull to the process as suggested by EK or I cross process Endura paper to get direct positives from the slides.

The latter can only be done with high quality slides due to the high contrast of the Endura when cross processed, but with care and use of some contrast control methods, very good results can be obtained. Several examples are posted on Photo Net by Bujor B.

Here is a process cycle at 68 deg F:

Dektol 1:2 or 1:3 2'
2% stop bath 30" (lights can go on at the end of this step)
Wash 1' (reversal expose front and back of print)
RA-RT color dev 2' (add up to 2 g/l sodium sulfite to reduce contrast)
RA blix 3'
Wash 20' (depends on temp, as you can go as high as about 80F)

Be careful adding the sulfite, as you can reduce the contrast very quickly and get reddish blacks. Start out with just 0.5 g/l and work up to the desired result. Also, the paper is slower and needs a bit more red filtration to fix up the color.

PE

 

[Samuel B]

I used to make Illfochome prints with a very basic setup consisting of a print drum and a bucket of water for tempering the solutions. It's not a difficult process at all. In fact a lab I worked in back in the '80's did Illfochome processing this way, my boss would do the printing and then I was the lucky one that got to do the drum processing! We did a surprising number of prints this way, and the consistency was very good considering the technique. The smell can be pretty strong, and of course it is very expensive, but the results can be worth it.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

I can by the way buy it from my deliverer, but it takes 4 weeks to arrive.... And the prices, Damn.
190 dollar for 5 liltre. That's extreme.

Sam

Sam, when I used to use Ilfochrome materials (I hope they'll be available again here sooner or later, though I'm a bit skeptic at this point) I had to forget B&W thinking - like mixing up fresh developer for a shot or two or a proofsheet. To make things somewhat cheap, all stuff shall be used up to exhaustion in a calculated manner.

I usually piled up slides for months until I had at least 30 to be printed. Only then I mixed the chemicals and started printing all day long and overnight (again: colour chemicals are not B&W and don't last long after having been diluted).

If you proceed as such, you'll find out that the cost for each print is 1/2 - 1/3 of what you would have paid at the laboratory (or so it was in Italy when cibachromes were still available). Not even to mention overall quality and composition.

 

[game]

actually that is how I always work...
I get the negatives from the lab including a contact sheet. I make pictures for a half year long, and then I decide what should be printed, and I take a few days to do that.
Still waiting for my manufacterer to anwer the ciba question.
Anyway, I also want to check fujiflex in comparison to cibachrome...
I have seen fujiflex or ilfoflex prints taht were very very nice.

Does anyone here knows a international online store that delivers fujiflex in sheets to europe?
Bets regards Sam

 

[game]

I got a reply from the manufacterer. And to bad, it can not handle the cibachrome chemicals.

Guess this subject is done by now.

Game

 

[Petzi]

That is what the manufacturer says...

Have they explained why?

 

[game]

Hi Sam,

Thanks for your e-mail.
We checked this matter and we have to inform you that METOFORM 7060 is unfortunately not capable of doing ciba/ilfochromes.

Best regards.

that was the email I got. You think I should ask furder questions?
Thanks,
sam