Why is color reversal film commonly known as "chrome"?

fdonadio · Feb 3, 2016

I have searched for an answer for quite some time. Google searches, Wikipedia, APUG, you name it!

A simple question: why is color reversal film known as "chrome"?

AgX · Feb 3, 2016

That designation "chrome" for reversal film is only used in english speaking communities, likely even more in american English.

The first commercial successful colour films all were reversal films:

Autochrome
Agfacolor
Kodachrome

All have the ending "-colour" in their name.

Kodak were the first to divide their films into "-chrome" and "-color" films, referring to reversal and negative films resp.
This and seemingly the success of Kodachrome made it that that the suffix "-chrome" or "-chrom" was being used by various manufacturers for their colour reversal films, and "-color" for their negative films.

In some communities that suffix then became a general designation on its own.

Do not overlook that the suffix "-chrome" or -"chrom" also was used for panchromatic b&w films.

RobC · Feb 3, 2016

I thought it was because they use "Chromogenic" dyes. Same with C prints which refers to "Chromogenic" prints.
Chrome or C is just an abbreeviation of chromogenic.

Chromogenic means (according to the OED):

1. Involving the production of colour or pigments.
2. Denoting a process of developing film which uses couplers to produce images of very high definition.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromogenic

tomken · Feb 3, 2016

Most probably because the word chrome comes from the Greek word khroma which means color, paint or pigment.

AgX · Feb 3, 2016

Chromogenic dyes are were also used in colour negative film. Though not in the first two films in my list (in historical sequence) above.

RobC · Feb 3, 2016

Chromium is chemical element 24. Chrome dyes may be made from it.

So there is a link with greek for colour and the chemical element chromium I think.

Ian Grant · Feb 3, 2016

The first colour transparency films with chrome in the name were made by the the Lumière brothers in France in 1903, it has nothing to do with Chromogenic.

It was also used by Wratten and Wainwright their B&W Verichrome & Allochrome product names, also Ilford Selochrome, it's just saying that the films have a wide chromatic range.

The modern use is just slang for slide films which all had chrome at the end of their name.

Ian

AgX · Feb 3, 2016

RobC said:
Chromium is chemical element 24. Chrome dyes may be made from it.

So there is a link with greek for colour and the chemical element chromium I think.

Chromium has nothing to do with that all. Except for that it has the term "colour" in its name.

"Chromium Dyes" were only used in some diffusion materials, their character not widely communicated and anyway only had been introduced at a time the term "chromes" had long been established.

removed account4 · Feb 3, 2016

is the "diapositive" only used in french ?
or is there another expression in other non-english languages for reversal film
that don't merge english with their names like the <i>franglish</i> word for hot dog " le hot dog " type of thing.

MartinP · Feb 3, 2016

Having spoken with English, European and North-American photographers for decades I'd say that the term is an american-english diminutive of Kodachrome and Ektachrome, and later Fujichrome. Historically plenty of black-and-white films had chrome in their name, but the generation introducing such diminutives did not see those films in their market at that time.

MartinP · Feb 3, 2016

jnanian said:
is the "diapositive" only used in french ?

In the Netherlands transparencies are often/usually termed "dias", from diapositief. A similar abbreviation is in use in Germany, though I don't know enough of the language to say whether it is standard or not.

AgX · Feb 3, 2016

Yes, Dia for slide, Diafilm for reversal film. But also, more technical, Umkehrfilm. Similar terms in Dutch.

U was a long time code by both Agfa and Orwo for reversal film.

Alan Klein · Feb 3, 2016

Kodacolor were negative colors films. Kodachrome and Ektachrome was positive or reversal color film.

Gerald C Koch · Feb 3, 2016

To clear up the confusion between the element chromium and color dyes. The element was so named because of the brilliant colors of its compounds. For example chrome alum solutions can appear as either purple or green. Potassium chromate solutions are yellow in color. In fact I cannot think of a chromium compound that isn't colored.

miha · Feb 3, 2016

MartinP said:
In the Netherlands transparencies are often/usually termed "dias", from diapositief. A similar abbreviation is in use in Germany, though I don't know enough of the language to say whether it is standard or not.

Same here. Diafilm, diapozitiv.

Ian Grant · Feb 3, 2016

Alan Klein said:
Kodacolor were negative colors films. Kodachrome and Ektachrome was positive or reversal color film.

And Kodak Verichrome and Verichrome Pan were negative films used to shoot colour subjects as well

Ian

DREW WILEY · Feb 3, 2016

I suspect that all these various trade name customs were decided during an alien abduction.

fdonadio · Feb 3, 2016

From what I know, here in Brazil, a diapositive (in Portuguese, "diapositivo") is a positive transparency made from a negative.

We use the word "chrome" ("cromo") for color positive transparencies.

It's been like that for decades, I think.

gzinsel · Feb 3, 2016

+1 for what Drew said!!! I do not believe there is any rhyme or reason to this "situation".

skorpiius · Feb 3, 2016

Well I guess there's two parts to this.
- Commonly referred to as Chrome due to all of the transparency films with trade names ending in -Chrome
- Lumiere Autochrome seems to have started that trend.

Why the Lumiere bros went with that name, shrug.

AgX · Feb 3, 2016

No, it is not that simple...

Even before the Autochrome "chrome" was used for colour process.
But even Lumiere later called their Autochrome material ....color.

Sirius Glass · Feb 3, 2016

Chrome - slides; Color - print =====> Marketing labels.

bence8810 · Feb 3, 2016

In Hungarian people refer to positive film as "Diafilm"

Ben

Arklatexian · Feb 4, 2016

DREW WILEY said:
I suspect that all these various trade name customs were decided during an alien abduction.

And those aliens seemed to have all come from Rochester, NY. At the time these deciasions were made Kodak coined the names and made the rules. In the camera stores around here it was known as:"the Great Yellow Father". Many other manufacturers sooner or later followed suit. For instance, I shot many rolls of Afgachrome CT18 transpariencies, diapositivs, dias. Kodak, in those days, did many things that made sense only to Kodak. I am not Kodak bashing here. That was just the way it was and we accepted it as part of the hobby/business....Regards!

Arklatexian · Feb 4, 2016

Just agreeing with Sirius Glass-----+1

Why is color reversal film commonly known as "chrome"?

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