Dye Transfer Prints

Now all but obsolete, the dye transfer print is the end result of arguably the most demanding of all color printing processes. Three gelatin coated sheets representing each primary color are produced from the original image. They are each immersed in their respective dyes and then individually transferred in exact register to a sheet of paper that will become the final print. The dyes migrate or transfer from each gelatin matrix to the sheet of paper. In the era of Madmen ad agencies were the primary users of dye transfer prints, the cost of which were out of reach for nearly all non-commercial photographers. Dye transfer prints are still considered by many to be the most beautiful color photographs. They are also extremely permanent and non-fading.