WOW! THAT brought back some memories! I used to make dye transfer prints from my 4x5 transparencies. I didn't think that the matrix film was still available. I always found that rolling the print was a magical as watching a black and white print appear. Seeing the exceptionally vibrant colors after pulling the yellow matrix is kind if magical. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
Thanks so much for publishing this video. I've long been aware of the dye-transfer process, but never got to participate in it. A wonderful explanation. Much admiration to you for your skills.
Thank you so very much for sharing this process. It's just beautiful !!. I wish this process was still done in the industry. But thank you for keeping it alive. Much respect for your skills and perseverance.
Interesting process and beautifully presented. I have followed Ctein and his work with dye transfer and always wanted watch how it was done. My understanding is that because Kodak stopped manufacturing the necessary films, papers and chemicals 30 years ago that supplies were exhausted and the process was no longer available to artist. Obviously you must have either purchased up all the remaining stock, or have found a supplier - either way, thank you for the presentation, it was inspiring to watch masters at work.
Thanks so much for making this film. I knew dye transfers were complicated, but far more so than I expected. You’ve described & shown it really well. Huge respect to the skill level & knowledge demonstrated, such a shame that it will be consigned to history. The prints are incredibly beautiful and a true work of art.
Once you learn how to make a dye transfer, you get to realize how insanely complicated it is. My job besides rolling, was making the masks; crm's specs, superspecs, local highlight masks, what we called midtone highlight masks (or MT's, from 2-10) which adjusted the contrast and detail of the midtone range of the image.
Hello Guy and Irene! I photographed you over 20 years ago for the Village Voice's Shelter column, in your ground floor apartment in Little Italy. I've loved sharing your work with my photography students in the years since, most notably the Americans in Kodachrome book.
Thanks for doing this video. You have answered questions I have been holding for years - save one more question you can help me with. Where would you place then visual impact of a dye transfer print among a color carbon print and a cibachrome print?
Thank you for sharing this video. I had a friend that had a few “IB Tech” (imbibition Technicolor) 35mm film prints. Looked really good, and what he liked most was that they would never fade, unlike other film prints. Is it possible to buy a print, of the featured photograph, from the people who made it? Regards, Mike
Thank you for making this video. I only have a few questions: Can the matrix relief be used more than once to make multiple prints? If so, does it need to go back through the dye bath between each print? How many prints can be made from each matrix relief? EDIT: Also, if Kodak stopped making the matrix relief film in 1998, where does one get matrix relief film (and the dyes and other chemicals needed) today?
Thank you for this fascinating video. I've been aware of dye transfer prints for about 50 years but I've never been able to fully understand the process until now. A lot of steps are involved but the stunning results are well worth the effort and complexity. It's easy to see why William Eggleston was drawn to the exceptional quality of these prints. Out of interest, why does the transparency have to be immersed into the immersion oil? What would happen if this process was skipped? Also, why isn't a black separation necessary as there is with CMYK printing?
A "K" or black separation does not happen by itself. It has to be created. I have worked for decades as a so-called negative retoucher. Creating a good black separation was never easy. By the way, I consider the dye transfer process 2025 to be pure self-adulation of a photographer. Now to your oil question. You can also use film cleaner. The liquid washes all dust particles to the edge. Best regards, Thomas.
I spent two summers working in a dye transfer lab when I was in photo school at Ryerson in Toronto. I did Irene's job, while highlight masks and separation negatives were made by another employee. Thanks for the memories. How do you still have the supplies?
RGB separation negatives. The mats are CMY respectively. The mats can be used to make as many prints as necessary, until the gelatin relief image wears out. There will be a point where new mats will have to be created.
standard procedure in advertising for companies like Coca Cola who required a specific red to be printed exactly like Coca Cola Red over and over again
Beautiful!
WOW! THAT brought back some memories! I used to make dye transfer prints from my 4x5 transparencies. I didn't think that the matrix film was still available. I always found that rolling the print was a magical as watching a black and white print appear. Seeing the exceptionally vibrant colors after pulling the yellow matrix is kind if magical. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
Thanks so much for publishing this video. I've long been aware of the dye-transfer process, but never got to participate in it. A wonderful explanation. Much admiration to you for your skills.
Thank you so very much for sharing this process. It's just beautiful !!. I wish this process was still done in the industry. But thank you for keeping it alive. Much respect for your skills and perseverance.
Interesting process and beautifully presented. I have followed Ctein and his work with dye transfer and always wanted watch how it was done. My understanding is that because Kodak stopped manufacturing the necessary films, papers and chemicals 30 years ago that supplies were exhausted and the process was no longer available to artist. Obviously you must have either purchased up all the remaining stock, or have found a supplier - either way, thank you for the presentation, it was inspiring to watch masters at work.
Thanks so much for making this film. I knew dye transfers were complicated, but far more so than I expected. You’ve described & shown it really well. Huge respect to the skill level & knowledge demonstrated, such a shame that it will be consigned to history. The prints are incredibly beautiful and a true work of art.
Once you learn how to make a dye transfer, you get to realize how insanely complicated it is. My job besides rolling, was making the masks; crm's specs, superspecs, local highlight masks, what we called midtone highlight masks (or MT's, from 2-10) which adjusted the contrast and detail of the midtone range of the image.
Bravo, Amazing skills.❤❤❤
Hello Guy and Irene! I photographed you over 20 years ago for the Village Voice's Shelter column, in your ground floor apartment in Little Italy. I've loved sharing your work with my photography students in the years since, most notably the Americans in Kodachrome book.
Hell yea ❤️ 1991 little Italy current queens resident New Yorker.
Oh yea and photographer 😅
This is incredible! What a vibrant colour spectre!
Thanks for doing this video. You have answered questions I have been holding for years - save one more question you can help me with. Where would you place then visual impact of a dye transfer print among a color carbon print and a cibachrome print?
Eggleston + dye transfer = one damn expensive print . I love watching new to me darkroom processes . Great video thanks for sharing .
Thank you for sharing this video.
I had a friend that had a few “IB Tech” (imbibition Technicolor) 35mm film prints.
Looked really good, and what he liked most was that they would never fade, unlike other film prints.
Is it possible to buy a print, of the featured photograph, from the people who made it?
Regards,
Mike
Thank you for making this video. I only have a few questions:
Can the matrix relief be used more than once to make multiple prints?
If so, does it need to go back through the dye bath between each print?
How many prints can be made from each matrix relief?
EDIT: Also, if Kodak stopped making the matrix relief film in 1998, where does one get matrix relief film (and the dyes and other chemicals needed) today?
Thank you for this fascinating video. I've been aware of dye transfer prints for about 50 years but I've never been able to fully understand the process until now. A lot of steps are involved but the stunning results are well worth the effort and complexity. It's easy to see why William Eggleston was drawn to the exceptional quality of these prints. Out of interest, why does the transparency have to be immersed into the immersion oil? What would happen if this process was skipped? Also, why isn't a black separation necessary as there is with CMYK printing?
A "K" or black separation does not happen by itself. It has to be created. I have worked for decades as a so-called negative retoucher. Creating a good black separation was never easy. By the way, I consider the dye transfer process 2025 to be pure self-adulation of a photographer. Now to your oil question. You can also use film cleaner. The liquid washes all dust particles to the edge. Best regards, Thomas.
Guessing the immersion oil eliminates the Newton's rings that otherwise would form from imperfect contact between the transparency and the glass.
I spent two summers working in a dye transfer lab when I was in photo school at Ryerson in Toronto. I did Irene's job, while highlight masks and separation negatives were made by another employee. Thanks for the memories. How do you still have the supplies?
Can the CMY negatives be reused for another print, or is the entire process limited to just one print? 😮
i also wondered this, hopefully the former
RGB separation negatives. The mats are CMY respectively. The mats can be used to make as many prints as necessary, until the gelatin relief image wears out. There will be a point where new mats will have to be created.
How did Eggleston even know there was this way of making prints?
Up until the 1960s this was the only way to make color-separated printing plates from transparencies! All the old-timers knew about it.
Maybe he read a book?
standard procedure in advertising for companies like Coca Cola who required a specific red to be printed exactly like Coca Cola Red over and over again
Ad agencies were using this method to make color ads in magazines.