Dye Transfer Print

Dye Transfer print process

The Dye transfer print process was first marketed in 1945 by Kodak and was discontinued in 1993.

The process begins with making a set of dye transfer separations. A colour transparency is exposed using filters- red, green and blue- onto 3 different black and white film sheets.

The exposure through the red filter creates a negative separation of the cyan image. The green creates the negative for the magenta and the blue creates a negative for yellow.

These separations are then exposed onto another black and white film called matrix film to create a positive.

The matrix film has a plastic base coated with a thick layer of silver halide emulsion suspended in gelatin yellow dye. The dye serves to control the penetration of the light used during the exposure allowing less exposure in areas of thick matrix and more in thinner areas.

After processing, excess gelatin and yellow dye are then removed with repeated baths of hot water, leaving a relief image in gelatin. This process is repeated for each matrix, resulting in a set of positive matrices- cyan, magenta and yellow.

To make a print, these matrices need to come into contact with dye transfer paper. Starting off with magenta, the matrix is rolled onto the dye transfer paper. After five minutes all of the dye will be off the matrix and on the paper. This step is repeated with all the matrices.

After all 3 matrices have been in contact with the paper; the print is done and just needs to dry. Sometimes air bubbles prevent the complete transfer of dye, so the matrices have to be re-rolled onto the paper.

Sources:

http://www.charlescramer.com/dyetransfer.html

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=YeK7FXhKrw0C&pg=PA423&dq=dye+transfer+print+process&lr=#v=onepage&q=dye%20transfer%20print%20process&f=false

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