Cibachrome (actually now Ilfochrome) is actually quite easy, and of course
has the advantage over negative printing that the enlarger filtration is a
bit easier to understand and you have a positive slide to compare your
positive image to for colour balance.
I started over 15 years ago with a colour enlarger and a single 8x10 drum
which I rolled back and forth on a level table - keeping the chemicals up
to temperature (24oC) is quite easy as heat loss is quite small over 3
minutes and as with all processing consistency is the main factor.
Consistency is aided by moving up to a Jobo type processor - I now
regularly process Ilfochrome up to 16x20 in a Jobo CPP2 and I'll go bigger
once I can find a cheap used drum of that size.
The down side, of course, is expense. The chemicals are quite expensive and
so is the paper, especially if you use the plastic high gloss surface - the
normal RC is a lot cheaper. Perhaps with cost in mind it is just as well
that Ilfochromes are slower to produce (I also have a Durst Printo which I
like for colour RA4 and "mass produced" B&W but I prefer the Jobo for
Ilfochrome).
Ilfochromes fade MUCH slower than RA4 prints - these are much cheaper, but
IMHO more difficult, to make but don't last as well (although Fuji have a
new RA4 paper which has a much longer claimed life).
Printing is of course just another creative process along with taking the
shots in the first place - I now develop my own B&W and E6 films and print
B&W, colour RA4 and Ilfochrome and get as much out of this as I do from
taking the photographs in the first place.
Interesting question - why in the US (where Olympus equipment and
photographic film and paper are usually much cheaper than in the UK) are
(used) Jobo processors so expensive? They are the one item which I
regularly see so much cheaper on sale in the UK.
Hope this helps, David
----------
> From: KenK1ZYW@xxxxxxx
> To: OLYMPUS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [OM] OM CIBACHROME
> Date: 02 December 1998 10:12
>
> Does anyone know what is needed to process 'cibrochrome' I think it is
now
> called Ilfochrome. Is it hard to do at home?
>
> Thanks
> Ken M
>
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