Ciba/Ilfochrome

Cibachrome (called Ilfochrome since 1991), invented in Switzerland in the 1960’s, was produced by Ilford Imaging Switzerland until 2013 when they went bankrupt. In the beginning it was intended for use by the English and French armies, to make microfilm with stable colours.

Unlike other printing processes, Cibachrome is obtained directly from slide film.  According to a study by the American Image Permanence Institute, we now know that this process has unbeatable colour constancy with a durability of 300 to 500 years.

Lucien Clergue made his Ciba prints with Roland Dufau in Paris, who was forced to close his lab in Saint Michel in 2016, after having used his last sheet of paper.

In 2018, Cadre en Seine CHOI (formerly Atelier Choi) continues to use the Cibachrome process, until the stock is used up…