Registering film for printing (optical) isn’t a mystery. It is simple, but has changed, with increasing complexity of mechanism making easier, more certain, faster production of picture.
At first, the method was: cut-n-butt. This was the way wash-off relief (dye transfer) was done from 1936 into the 1950s. In fact the original Kodak Dye Transfer method was based upon a “slip-sheet” for matrix positioning at the printing stage. Kodak even included a blank, unsensitized sheet of matrix film in the 10×12 sheet boxes. [ ever divide 25 by 3; in tri-color separation, that 25 sheet box had an extra… used either for exposure tests, or use as a slip-sheet.
Needed: straight edge, knife, tape, loupe and good eyes.
Printers and animators had other means and methods. More about that in the “registration” posts.
printmakers have use “buttons” and “tabs” for decades. These are much more current. They are standard sized for at hand punches. The oblong slot allows easy on, as well as permitting size changes of support material.
by modifying the color of light, we affect the color of the print. Simple enough.
The photograph is an illusion which stands in for something else. If done well enough, the magic occurs; sometimes reproducing reality, while others replacing, or replenishing it.
the most consequential artists of the past 100+ years have asked their questions using the language of color.
Two Modes of color printing: white light, or additive (tricolor).
dslr is an electronic one-shot tricolor camera.
UNICOLOR System
A small cardboard box with plastic exposure wheel and a color wedge calculator. This was probably the most used hobby way to color printing. It also probably caused more people to try, then leave color darkrooms. The real heritage is the mass of drums and rotating bases filling landfill and ebay. [Canadian company that made roller bases and tanks that he produced for several companies. With small detail changes they were marketed, at the same time, by Simmard, Unicolor, Beseler and Omega.]
filter wheel
Specialized Enlarger
Phillips PCS tri-one enlarger introduced in 1979; six years later, Beseler introduced the Minolta 45a at PMA 85. Both used primary color, aka, additive filters. These are narrow pass filters similar to the effect of using Wratten 70, 98, and 99 filters.
Phillips PCSMinolta 45a
minolta 45a system
Introduction:
The Head is the light source that sits in the enlarger replacing the other beseler light source. It uses EU (exposure units) to control color and density of the print. These range from 0 to 250. Each 30EU is 30cc in subtractive filtration, which is a density change of 1 stop.
The Controller is the main portion of the unit. controller and head are connected by a cable which you do not remove. Take care not to kink or twist it much, since it is a fiber optic cable that can be broken without showing external signs. Once it breaks, you need to find a new complete system I use the 45a on a Beseler. It could also be used on an Omega D series.
My main use is to print color negatives. I also occasionally use it to make separations used in assembly processes. Kodak Pan Matrix film would expose well at 100,70,90 for Kodak Ektar film.
[ additional at private link]
RA-4 Color Printing
drum processing
clip showing filters used for tricolor printing on type C paper
The filter in the vimeo clip is a UV + IR + approximately 50Cyan filter to provide equalizing filtration among masked (orange) and unmasked color negatives. Early Agfa CN material was unmasked, as was cross-processed chrome film. The cross-processed Anscochrome film was quite common. By processing and slide film in a negative film developer, we gained speed, but lost the correction masking of the negative film; in high contrast, high saturation scenes, this loss wasn’t a detriment to achieving the need
elements of my early years. The way of making unsharp masks, and my first tricolor printing setup. Both were from booklets published by Ansco…
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