The
C.R.C. should live up to it`s name and show how good positive to positive
colour prints can be. All colour slide makers should make them. Anyone who can
process E6 slides will find Cibachrome dead easy. Some slides which are
so-so as slides produce very good prints.
It is also possible to change the mood of the slide in the print to
it`s advantage. So I think
there should be more about reversal colour printing in the Club`s
Newsletter.
To
put my money where my mouth is I have written two short articles on
Cibachrome and also donate a book for the C.R.C. Library, "Complete
Guide To Cibachrome Printing" which is the best book on the subject I
know. One of the authors, P. Krouse, had a lot to do with the introduction
of Cibachrome-A in the States and was at one time President of Ilford Inc.
The
Dagneureo type of the fist days was a direct positive process. Reproduction
could only be made by re-photographing.
The copies were unfortunately much inferior than the original.
This remained with reversal processing until recently. Now materials
are available which allow copies to be a near match to the original.
Remember prints from slides are a re-photographing job. As a result many
people are using their original slides as a master to produce copy slides
and prints. If such a slide is
a master to be only used in this way, why not make it in such a way as to
give the best copies? Say to reduce contrast by flashing or special
processing. Weighers & Mixers should be able to get a purpose out of
doing this.
Bictanol
Chemical supply a Cibachrome developer additive which can be added to any
B&W print developer for processing Cibachrome, whilst full contrast
masking. Club members could use it to devise a multi contrast developer for
Cibachrome to give improved results.
5" x 7" CIBACHROME
PAPER
Most
of us know of the ISO system of `A` stationary sizes where the next smaller
size is obtained by halving with the relative proportions of the slides
remaining the same. There are indications that photographic paper may
conform to this standard in time.
What
many may not know is that 5" x 7" is such a halvable format which
is available now. When halved
it produces two 3½" x 5" prints which is the standard En-print
size. Halved again and we have 2½" x 3½" a standard cut film
format and the most popular snap-shot size in "Box Camera Times"
worth reviving now as an economic hand-out with a novelty value as a shirt
pocket mini print in these days of maxi sizes.
Halved
the other way 5" x 7" gives two 2½" x 7" wide-view
prints which can suit some subjects. I agree with Rita & Major Pearle
when they state in their excellent article on "Making An Exposure
Frame" in the issue No. 44 that it is best to use such a device to
produce small prints on a single sheet of 8" x 4" paper and then
to cut it up in full light after processing.
I suggest however that for those who feel that they will never need
to make a full 8" x 10" print there are advantages in using
5" x 7" sheets instead. With most 8" x 10" processors it
is not much more difficult to put in two sheets of 5" x 7" as one
8" x 10". This is so with the very good Paterson Orbitor which the
Pearls use and is now the only price economical 8" x 10" motor
driven processor.
3½"
x 5" is not much smaller than 4" x 5" and better suits full
size 35mm format. 50 5" x 7" sheets costs less than 25 sheets of
8" x 10". There is
also a saving in Chemicals. 55 - 60 cc instead of 75 - 55 cc suits the three
measures which come with the Orbitor. An
exposure frame similar to the Pearles` 8" x 10" but for 5" x
7" instead would need to be made.
An
advantage of making 3½" x 5" prints on two seperate 5" x
7" sheets against four 4" x 5" prints on a single 8" x
10" is that the exposure frame need never be moved, the second print of
a pair can be made by reversing the paper in the frame.
WHITE
BORDERS ON CIBACHROME
Multi-Format
exposure frames such as the Pearles produce borderless prints which suit
most people. Some however would prefer prints with borders. With positive to
positive prints the ordinary masking frames give black borders which few
want. The required being white.
Borderless
exposure frames can be made to give white borders if used with suitable
image masks. These are similar to the masks described by the Pearles for
their Multi-Format frame (Newsletter 44) exept that they are made to the
format size less on both breadth and length by the width of the required
border. When making care must be taken that the slides are square with each
other and are straight and smooth. They give the inside outline to the
picture and faults are noticeable and cannot be corrected.
In
use the mask is put on top of the print just exposed in the frame and pushed
into one of the corners so that two adjacent slides butt against the
corresponding sides of the exposure frame. On the other two sides there is a
gap equal to the required border on those sides of the print.
The
slide is now taken out of the enlarger whose light is switched on to
continuous working. An exposure
more sufficient to burn out all the colour leaving base white only in the
unprotected gap, is given. Then without any need to switch off the light the
mask is slid over the diagonally opposite corner so that the gap is now on
the up to no
w
protected sides of the print. The exposure is repeated and the lamp turned
off.
If
as in multiple printing from one slide, it is not desired to remove the
slide from the enlarger. A suitable spot light at the enlarger can be used
instead of the enlarger`s lamp.
C
O M M E N T S
As
Arthur explains, he has kindly donated the book "Complete Guide To
Cibachrome Printing" by Peter Krause & Henry Shull, to the CRC
Library. Published by K.P. Books, of Tucson Arazona. U.S.A. This is an
excellent book which contains Eleven sections explaining the various steps
into Cibachrome printing. From
Part one which explains how `Light & Colour` works and mixes to produce
the neutral colours spectrum and how it can be used for photographic
purposes. Part 2 covers Colour Photography and the additive and subtractive
colour reproduction. Part 3 explains how the Cibachrome process came about
and how the sensitive layers are formed and even giving details of the
differences, advantages & disadvantages of the system. Part 4 gives
scematic details of the paper`s density and spectral curves, exposure times
and reciprocity failure. Part 5
starts in earnest into P-30 & P-3 Cibachrome processes, explaining
solution composition & mixing, and solution life, misuse and
substitution and standard replenishing rates. Part 6 assists you in
equipping your darkroom with details on using the Enlarger and using colour
filters, while Part 7 is all about exposing the print material, which
includes a nine-part ring-around guide to exposure steps.
Part
8 explains the use of processing Cibachrome A11 print material and
information on choosing a processing method such as processing drum or auto
colour processor, or tray processing. Part 9 is on special exposure and
processing methods, such as Burning-in, Dodging and using contrast masking
and Flashing, including Local Colour Correction and contrast printing. This
includes pictorial samples of Common Exposure and Processing errors. Part 10
is about Creative & Experimental Techniques including Sandwich slides,
Photographs and using Texture and Overprinting with B&W letterings, plus
a section on In-Camera Exposure of Cibachrome. The final chapter is called
`Finishing Touches` which includes, Removing fingerprints, Retouching, Hot
& Cold Laminating, Mounting by the Heat or Dry methods, Print Edging and
framing.
All
in all quite an excellent book with dozens of example colour prints to
explain the sections. Originally costing around £10, the book will cost
around £1.50 in postage (£3 return), but well worth it. If you are
interested details of the Hon. Librarian`s address and phone number is on
page 16. (Check for 1995 postal prices).