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Why has Cibachrome been changed to Ilfochrome?
Although it is the same product, Ilford has not made an effort to educate the public on this fact. Several years ago Ilford purchased the Cibachrome manufacturing facility in Switzerland. They originally wanted to keep the Cibachrome name but were only able to license it for ten years and even then would not be able to apply the name to new products. Since Ilford did not want to change the product name in the future, they went with Ilfochrome at the time of the purchase.
What is the benefit of Fiber Based B&W vs. RC?
Fiber Based prints have a richness and feel to them that cannot be accomplished with RC papers. Their life expectancy is longer and they are more widely accepted in museums and galleries worldwide.
What is the best film for printing Type-C, Ilfochrome, or B&W?
There is no 'best' film. That decision is made by you and based on your desired outcome for the photograph. If you would like suggestions for choosing a film based on your needs please contact us.
Why do we offer several B&W film developers?
Each film developer is designed by the manufacturer to give different results with different films. Some offer fine grain, high acutance or a combination of both. If you would like suggestions on which developer to use, please contact us.
How long will my prints last?
This is dependant on the process used and the environmental variables of the display area. Images in humid or high UV environments will last a much shorter time than images in controlled environments. Stored in archival conditions, Ilfochrome prints will last up to 200 years, Type-C prints 12-17 years, and B&W prints upwards of 250 years.
Why do we use traditional photochemical processes and not digital?
There are pros and cons with both processes (see our
article) but we are dedicated to the traditional photographic processes as a personal choice. We feel that as more and more labs go to digital technologies, there is still a need for conventionally enlarged prints.
How to I pick the best exposure to print from?
This is primarily dependent on whether you are shooting slide film or negative film. Negative film will most often want normal to a slight overexposure whereas positive film (slides) work better with a slight underexposure in most cases.
If you are shooting negative film, a contact sheet is invaluable in determining which negative to print. While viewing the contact sheet, you want to see shadow detail over film base (compare the shadows of the image to the black of the paper to see if there is film density over film base). If there is detail in the shadows over film base, the negative will print fine without loss of detail in the shadows on the final print. Next look at the highlights in the contact sheet. If they are white (bright) with detail the print will look fine but if they are blown out (paper white) there may be too much density on the film therefore causing a lack of detail in the highlights on the print.
If you are shooting positives (slides) viewing the chrome on a light table should give you a good idea of how the image will print. If you can see both shadow detail and highlight detail without loss of definition in either, the chrome will print well. If the shadows are too blocked up or the highlights show clear film, the chrome may not give the desired result in the print. Masking can help with slight exposure/contrast problems, but it is best to compensate while exposing your film.
If you have more then one chrome with detail in the shadows and highlights, choose the chrome with the color saturation that you prefer. Less exposure will give more saturation whereas more exposure gives less saturation. The opposite is true while working with negative films.
If you are still unsure of the best choice please send us multiple exposures and we will be happy to pick for you. You may want to include notes as to what elements of the image are most important to you and which version you were thinking of printing.
How do I expose my film to get the best print possible?
Again, this depends on whether you are shooting positive or negative film.
If you are shooting negative film, it is best to meter for the shadow areas to be sure that there is enough density on the film to record detail. Usually you can meter the darkest area of the scene that requires full detail and stop down 2 stops from the indicated meter reading and you will get an acceptable negative. Remember with negative film to overexpose when in doubt.
Positive films require a slightly different approach. The latitude built into chrome films is far less than that of negative films. This means that shadows will block up and highlights will blow out more quickly. The best way to expose chrome films is to meter the brightest area in the scene that needs full detail and open up 2 ½ stops from the indicated meter reading. The next step is to meter the shadow values within the scene that need full detail and count the stops between the highlights and shadows. If the contrast range is 5 stops or less, the chrome will have detail in both the highlights and shadows giving you a well balanced print. If the contrast range is greater than 5 stops, you will be sacrificing detail in the shadows. If this is the case masking can correct some of the problem but it is best not to count on that.
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