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from the group: Dye Imbibition

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Pre-photographic

Intaglio
Planographic
Relief

Photomechanical

Collotype
Letterpress
Offset Lithography
Photogravure
Rotogravure
Woodburytype

Photographic

Albumen
Ambrotype
Bromoil
Bromoil Transfer
Carbon
Carbro
Chromogenic
Collodion POP
Cyanotype
Daguerreotype
Direct Carbon (Fresson)
Dye Imbibition
Gelatin Dry Plate
Gelatin POP
Gum Dichromate
Instant (Diffusion Transfer)
Instant (Dye Diffusion Transfer)
Instant (Internal Dye Diffusion Transfer)
Matte Collodion
Platinum
Salted Paper
Screen Plate
Silver Dye Bleach
Silver Gelatin DOP
Tintype
Wet Plate Collodion

Digital

Electrophotography
Inkjet
Thermal

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Notes on this view:

Crawford Flexichrome is a dye imbibition process introduced in the 1940s initially by the Crawford Flexichrome Company then by the Defender Company from 1940-1942. Kodak bought the patent and reintroduced Flexichrome with improvements to the process in 1949 and marketed it until 1961.

Flexichrome starts either with a negative image on panchromatic film or with a color transparency which is printed onto panchromatic film. The negative is then printed by enlargement onto Kodak Flexichrome Stripping Film through the base of the film. The film is developed in a tanning developer in which the exposed silver halides are reduced to silver image particles and the gelatin surrounding the silver particles hardens in proportion to the amount of silver present. The film is washed in hot water washing away the unhardened, soluble gelatin resulting in a silver image in a gelatin relief. The silver is then bleached and removed in bleaching and fixing baths leaving just a clear gelatin relief image. The film is immersed in a black dye bath called Modeling Agent and the dye is absorbed into the gelatin relief. The film is stripped from its support and transferred to a permanent support consisting of gelatin coated paper or plastic. The image is then colored using Kodak Flexichrome Colors, which are hand applied with a brush. The colors are absorbed into the gelatin in proportion to the thickness of the gelatin relief. The process was marketed primarily to advertising agencies and commercial studios. Kodak emphasized the flexibility of color choice and ease of application.