Formulations change even without a branding change. This is done for reasons their maker knows. We can guess. If the item is intended, or is expected to serve the same utility, why introduce a New Name?
Super-XX and Kodak Pan Matrix film become one example
| Super -XX | 1938 – 1955 | was the founding emulsion in speed and sensitization for Pan Matrix Film. |
| Super -XX | after 1955 became the film used for seps. | 1953 Kodak had moved to Safety Base |
| Pan Matrix 5511 | 1949 | dye washed out. see Defender process notes |
| Pan Matrix 5149 | 1957 | black didn’t wash out |
| Pan Matrix 4149 | (63 ->) the Matrix film most knew | blackjet |
open questions
The past can be used to provide answers for those open to reading.
TMAX, Super-XX, and Separation Negative 1 &2 were sold during dye transfer’s ending days.
tmax was not the replacement film… it just became so after Super-XX was dropped. After separation negative film (I and II) was dropped, TMax was the Kodak film that many experimented with.
The Versamat also fell to the change in commercial photography world. The change had begun in the 70s, accelerating in the 80s. Retouching was the key to the kingdom.
With dye transfer’s passing, several lab films were not longer needed.
They were replaced by the scanner.
this date (1985), the process was ending.
These are list prices. Labs got discounts over 40%. Our discount may have been a secret kept from other labs. Nothing much else could be. Certainly nothing about the process. We hired from the same schools. Hired from each other. Some printers worked different shifts at different labs.
I, for one, travelled among labs across country working on projects.
TMAX as the savior
One Film to rule the world.. often repeated — the repeat began with one person. Seemed reasonable. No one disputed it. Some out of ignorance, some, likely, out of politeness. In one case out of knowing better than to spend time making repeated corrections.
TMAX and Pan Masking film co-existed… TMAX was not the suggested fillm for masking.
Optical Printing… isn’t enlarger printing. At least it wasn’t. Notice the guidance for exposing duplication film. Use an optical printer, an enlarger, or a camera.
the great OPTICAL print.. sitting alongside the Enlarger and Camera.
Calling a photograph an OPTICAL seems like a call for help. A big word for something very common.
The optical printer has short enclosed separation between original and duplicate — or, negative and positive (print). An enlarger was also called ‘projection’ or ‘arial’ printing.
Optical is a code word of those who oppose this century’s vocabulary for inkjet printing.
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