Dye Destruction Print

La chapelle au caoutchouc, Eric Baudart, 2005, Ilfochrome®, 200 x 126 cm, fonds d'art contemporain - Paris collections

Historical period of production and use

Experiments were carried out in the early 20^th century with the aim of producing prints on paper from Autochrome-type colour slides. Following a research agreement made between photographic-support manufacturer Ilford and the chemical group Ciba, in 1963 the technique was marketed under the name Cilchrome®, which later became Cibachrome®, and finally, in 1991, Ilfochrome®. In 2013 Ilford Imaging Switzerland bankrupted, but the stocks continue to be used. In France the printing stopped completely in 2023.

Manufacturing

Based on a technique developed by Dr Bela Gaspar in the first half of the 20^th century, an image is formed from the selective bleaching – or selective destruction – of dyes during the development process. The process is based on subtractive three-colour synthesis: the print support is composed of three layers of yellow, magenta and cyan-coloured (azoic dyes) gelatin on resin coated paper (RC) or a polyester plastic film, which may be opaque or transparent for the production of backlit display cases or microfiches. Unlike the supports used for chromogenic processing, the image is formed from dyes already present in the sensitized paper, which are then destroyed according to the amount of light received.

Credits

Visual Glossary of Photographic Processes © ARCP / Mairie de Paris, 2014