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Hydrotypie / Hydrotype

Description

“In the imbibition process, a dye image is transferred from a gelatin relief image to a receiving layer made either of paper or film. Charles Cros described this method of ‘hydrotypie’ transfer printing in 1880 and suggested it could be used to transfer three individual dye images in register. The Hydrotype (1881) and the Pinatype (1905) were examples of the early use of this process. One of the notable, though not widely used, relief matrix processes was developed by Dr Arthur Traube and introduced in 1929 as the Uvatype, which was an improved version of his earlier Diachrome (1906) and dye mordant Ufachrome (1916) processes. The Eastman Wash-off Relief process (1935) was a refinement of the imbibition process that was replaced by the improved Dye Transfer process (1946-1993). The widest commercial application of the imbibition process was the Technicolor process, originally introduced as a two-color system in 1916, for producing motion-picture release prints.”

(Hirsch, Robert (2011): Exploring Color Photography. From Film to Pixels. Elsevier Focal Press: Oxford; Burlington, MA, p. 25.)

Secondary Sources

Coe, Brian (1978): Colour Photography. The First Hundred Years, 1840-1940. London: Ash & Grant, pp. 100-101. View Quote

Evans, Ralph Merrill; Hanson, W.T., Jr.; Brewer, W. Lyle (1953): Principles of Color Photography. New York: Wiley, p. 295. View Quote

Florstedt, J. (1973): Recent Developments in International Colour Cinematography. In: The British Journal of Photography, pp. 340–348, on p. 346. View Quote

Friedman, Joseph Solomon (1945): History of Color Photography. Boston: The American Photographic Publishing Company, p. 462. View Quote

Hirsch, Robert (2011): Exploring Color Photography. From Film to Pixels. Elsevier Focal Press: Oxford; Burlington, MA, p. 25. View Quote

Layton, James; Pierce, David (2015): The Dawn of Technicolor. Rochester: George Eastman House, on p. 142. View Quote

Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, on p. 128 View Quote and on pp. 149–150. View Quote