Does anyone do Dye-transfer printing?

<p>Ctein makes dye transfer prints, but the materials are no longer made. And the learning curve is steep.</p>

<p>http://ctein.com/</p>

<p>Woo Nelly, I hope that you have a huge grant from a museum Joel, or if you are fabulously wealthy, that is good too.<br>

I shall tell you, Ctein does some great work. I always liked those huge dye transfers that museums have...I wonder who made those. It makes me sad whenever an artistic medium dies.</p>

<p>EDIT: Accidently made up a new word. (Spelling errata).</p>

<p>Dye transfers are still made. At last estimate I think there are about 40 people in the world who make dye-transfer prints on a regular basis. All the materials are available for those who want and can afford them.<br>

The dye-transfer process is an ultra-premium print making process that usually starts with a photograph but doesn't have to. Dye-transfers are extremely rare, and have become very valuable in recent years.<br>

As a budget guide I would suggest that you allow about US$1000 each for an original 16"x20" dye-transfer print from a colour transparency. Re-prints using the original dye matrices should be less than US$500 each.<br>

Dye-transfers are ridiculously expensive if thought of as just pictures. As valuable creative works of art for major museums or astute art collectors they are a bargain. For instance an original Eliot Porter dye-transfer in good condition should still have a market price under $100 000 assuming one actually goes to auction.</p>

<p>I'm sorry, but some of the most important things needed to make a great dye transfer are no longer available. Pan Masking film, for example, was a unique product necessary in the process of making an unsharp mask. The best prints were printed from no fewer than eleven films, many in combinations as contrast masks, all in perfect register and some of those were made from intermediate films too.<br>

Just making the matrices will give you a print, but it was far from the best. You need special films to make mid-tone masks and highlight masks at the very least. None of these films are around any more and there are no substitutes. What's made today is a far cry from the best that was done in the eighties before computer imaging.</p>

<p>"I want to get a bunch of slides printed with the most color contrast."<br>

Then learn how to reallty print well ( take a MAc Holbert, Bill Atkinson, John Paul Caponigro, or Joseph Holmes weeklong workshop) and use one of the new Canon IPF, Epron x900 series or HP Z3100 printers and really good paper.</p>

<p>I'm sorry, but some of the most important things needed to make a great dye transfer are no longer available. Pan Masking film, for example, was a unique product necessary in the process of making an unsharp mask. The best prints were printed from no fewer than eleven films, many in combinations as contrast masks, all in perfect register and some of those were made from intermediate films too.<br>

Just making the matrices will give you a print, but it was far from the best. You need special films to make mid-tone masks and highlight masks at the very least. None of these films are around any more and there are no substitutes. What's made today is a far cry from the best that was done in the eighties before computer imaging.</p>

I have only just signed onto photo net but found this post and thought I should reply. The information you posted is not accurate. I still make genuine dye transfer prints. Even made my own matrix film at one stage when it was unavailable. There are work arounds for masking film, separation film, pan lith film, dyes and papers. I now colour separate on a film recorder but the remainder of the process is analogue. I also make tri colour carbon prints and materials for that are even more difficult to obtain.