Dye destruction print

A dye destruction print (Cibachrome print, Ilfochrome print) is a print made by a photographic process in which colour dyes already embedded in the paper's emulsion are selectively bleached, that is destroyed, to create the colour image. Unlike chromogenic printing, where dyes are formed during development, here azo dyes are pre-incorporated into several light-sensitive layers, and wherever light acts the excess dye is chemically destroyed. The technology, commercially known as Cibachrome and later Ilfochrome, delivered exceptional saturation, purity of colour and remarkable resistance to fading, along with a deep glossy sheen thanks to its polyester base. These qualities made the process a favourite among masters of colour art photography, who printed large-format exhibition works from transparencies. Although manufacture of the materials ceased in the early 2010s, dye destruction prints remain a benchmark of permanence and colour quality in the history of analogue photographic printing.