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Minicolor

Description

“In 1941 Kodak introduced a printing service for wallet-size Minicolor prints on a white opaque support of pigmented acetate made from 35mm transparencies (Fig. 5.6). A similar product called Kotavachrome was designed for larger prints made from sheet films. Such enlargements required special masks consisting of black-and-white negatives printed from the original transparency, which lowered the overall contrast of the image (Mees 1942). The new printing material was processed with added coupler developers similar to those used for Kodachrome and was never made available to the public. Printing of Minicolor and Kotavachrome photographs was done exclusively by Kodak. Minicolor prints became very popular with amateurs, but there was little demand for Kotavachrome from professional photographers, who preferred using dye imbibition printing (Koshofer 1966). In 1946 Minicolor and Kotavachrome were renamed Kodachrome prints and Kodachrome Professional prints, respectively. They remained available until 1955, when they were abandoned in favor of more convenient dye coupling printing materials with integrated couplers.”

(Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, on pp. 165–167.)


Secondary Sources

Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, on pp. 165–167 View Quote and on p. 194. View Quote