STORM TRACK: September 30, 1978 (Volume 1 Issue 6)

This issues feature presents the author's experience with Cibachrome printing, as well as his initial efforts at any kind of print making. It is not offered as an endorsement either of the process or equipment. Rather, it is intended to dispel some of the mystery surrounding printing and some of the inhibitions that readers may have which black their venturing into this area. I had long been dissatisfied with the print quality from inter-negatives of slides and was reluctant to send originals to the sometimes chancy fate (smudges and scratches) of Kodak printers. Having promised myself to thoroughly study the merchandise before buying (one inhibition), I kept putting it off because of the research necessary to properly do this. Finally, and somewhat impulsively, I made the plunge -in response to a sale. The following were purchased for about $600:

(1) Beseler dichro 67 enlarger; (2) El Nikkor f2.8 50mm lens; (3) EPOI PRINTROL - Electronic Enlarging Timer; (4) Beseler Power Supply', (5) metal print-framing board; (6) Chromega Dual-Action Agitator; (7) Cibachrome Color Processing Drum; (8) Cibachrome thermometer; (9) Falcon print dryer (cranking rubber rollers) and wire drying rack; (10) rubber gloves; (11) Cibachrome Glossy Print Spray; (12) Cibachrome Chemistry Kit Process P-12; and (13) Cibachrome 8 X 10-inch color print material-Type A (20 prints).

Briefly, here's the procedure (assuming all the gear is set. up and plugged in).

(1) Separately mix three solutions -developer, bleach and fixer. Although the bleach is mixed with a powder at over 100 deg F, it must be cooled (brief refrigeration helps) to 75 deg F within 3 deg F. All solutions must be in this range.

(2) Apply the proper colored-filter-mix to the enlarger for the slides being printed (Kodachrome, Ektachrome, etc.) as specified on the back of the print package. This mix will vary with different print packs, depending on the color balance of a particular production run.

(3) Set the electronic timer and adjust the f stop on the projection lens.

(4) Arrange the framing board to properly position the print to be placed on it, focus the image, turn out the lights, remove print from pack and place on board.

(5) Depress timer button to automatically expose the print for the pre-set time.

(6) Remove the print, place in the plastic processing drum, cap the ends & lights on.

(7) Over the next 9 minutes, pour in each of three solutions (90ml. each) and mix.

(8) Remove the print with rubber gloves (protects finish and fingers) and rinse with running water at 75 deg F for 3 additional minutes. Since I rinse by hand, I allow an extra 1 to 2 minutes for a thorough job (more professional procedure would be to use a special rinse tub). Too short a rinse can leave a blemished print.

Total elapsed time is about 20-25 minutes per print, allowing time for drying the drum (after each print), focusing and setting up for the next exposure Incidentally, by using 80ml. rather than 90ml. for each mix, you can process up to 24 prints from a single P-12 kit (listed for 20 prints). One disadvantage -when mixed, you have to use the chemistry within 3 weeks or one solution fails. Some misconceptions which didn't prove out:[(a) Although no bouquet, the odor is not a problem. I have never felt the need of a fan or made any other special arrangements in this regard (darkroom is in a moderately large basement); and (b) The chemicals aren't that acid to exposed hands. I usually rinse off splashed solution -but ignore occasional drips. At the worst, the bleach will give a slow burn as from a car battery's water -nothing more.] Before discarding the chemicals, all are mixed together and a baking soda type powder is added to neutralize the acidity and protect your plumbing -on the way out. Incidentally, don't add it all at once or you'll have a foaming witches brew boiling out all over the place. Another inhibition that delayed my start in printing was the assumption that I needed an enclosed dark room with running water. Not so! I set up in the corner of a basement, 20 feet from a standard wash tub and -when necessary- cover the windows with aluminum foil and tape. I occasionally vacuum around the enlarger However, the normal moisture in a room with a washer and dryer tends to suppress free floating dust. Prints left out on a table overnight have surprisingly little or no dust on them in the morning.

I have found that, contrary to Cibachrome's advertisement, you don't necessarily produce "prints as rich and detailed as your original transparencies." A weak contrast slide which looks good in a projector will look worse when printed. Any fault in a slide will be magnified. Likewise, a sharp-colorful slide will give an excellent print. However, a slide with too much contrast -such as made with a polaroid filter on a bright day- will produce a print with the light areas bleached out and lacking detail. This can be controlled by "dodging" or "burning" your print exposure, which is the selective shading of the print to suppress or high- light parts thereof. This is a highly challenging technique, difficult to master, and is still part of my "learning curve."

However, one uncompromising standard that was satisfied from the outset has been image sharpness. Cibachrome can produce prints distinctly sharper than comparable work done by Kodak (both using the same original slide). Moreover, you need no longer entrust those valuable slides to Kodak's sometimes careless handling.

When thoroughly dry, I spray each print with Cibachrome Glossy Print Spray. It protects the somewhat delicate print surface and permits wipe-cleaning of smudges. Finally, if you want, to print from negatives, you need only add one or two more pieces of equipment. In short -like anything else- once you learn the routine, its not half bad. After one or two superb prints, you should be hooked. Then you can experiment with changing filter values and exposures to enhance or dramatize individual slides. Good luck.