Kodak 5272TM Laboratory AIM Density LAD Control Method, Printing Conditions, Image Structure

LABORATORY AIM DENSITY (LAD) CONTROL METHOD

To maintain optimum quality and consistency in the final prints, the laboratory must carefully control the color timing, printing, and duplicating procedures. Laboratory Aim Density (LAD) Control Film provides a simple, effective, and easily implemented control method for the production of master positives and duplicate negatives from negative originals.

All film in the printing original should be color timed relative to LAD Control Film supplied by Eastman Kodak Company. The reversal LAD control film specified may be made on EASTMAN EKTACHROME Film 7240 flashed and processed to Status M densities of Red 1.10, Green 1.10, and Blue 1.10. The LAD Control Film is printed at the center of the printer range, usually TAPE 25-25-25. Printer setup (speed, bulb voltage, TRIM, filtration, etc.) is determined by printing the large gray patch in the LAD Control Film to the specified Laboratory Aim Density values on the duplicating film, chosen to be at the center of the usable straight-line portion of the duplicating film’s characteristic curves. The Status M Laboratory Aim Density values for EASTMAN Color Internegative II Film are as follows:

Red	Green	Blue	Tolerance
0.90	1.30	1.70	± 0.12 density

For making prints, the processed internegative may then be timed relative to a negative LAD Control Film using densitometry or an electronic color analyzer. On-aim internegatives and duplicate negatives will normally time near TAPE 29-29-29 compared to the negative LAD Control Film printed at TAPE 25-25-25. The LAD on the print film is a neutral gray of 1.0 visual density. The LAD Control Method* assumes that the film and process sensitometry are within specification.

*The LAD control method is described in the paper “A Simplified Motion-Picture Laboratory Control Method for Improved Color Duplication,” by John P. Pytlak and Alfred W. Fleischer in the October 1976 SMPTE Journal. Also refer to KODAK Publication No. H-61, LAD—Laboratory Aim Density.

PRINTING CONDITIONS

In all printer setups for printing EASTMAN Color Internegative II Film 5272 / 7272, include a heat absorbing (infrared) filter such as a KODAK Heat Absorbing Glass, No. 2043, and a KODAK WRATTEN Gelatin Filter No. 2B to absorb ultraviolet (UV) light. For high light output with very long bulb life, operate the printer bulb at approximately 80 percent of rated voltage. Use a well-regulated constant-current dc power supply.

Print the LAD Control Film at the center of the printer balance range, usually TAPE 25-25-25 on an additive printer. Print other scenes in the original as determined by color timing relative to the reversal LAD Control Film. Choose the printer speed and filtration to normalize the additive TRIM settings near the center of their range to allow for slight variations in film and printer.

On subtractive printers, choose the filter pack and light control for both the removal and addition of filters for color correction. You can use EASTMAN Lamphouse Modification Filters in subtractive printers to more closely balance the spectral characteristics of subtractive lamphouses with additive lamphouses so that prints made on a subtractive printer more closely match those made on additive printers. On optical printers, set the lens aperture considering sharpness, depth of focus, and light transmittance characteristics. Use ground glass or other diffusers to improve uniformity of illumination. Clean and align optics for optimum light output and uniformity.

IMAGE STRUCTURE

The modulation-transfer curve, rms granularity, and resolving-power data were generated from samples of EASTMAN Color Negative II Film exposed with tungsten light and processed as recommended in Process ECN-2 chemicals. For more information on image-structure characteristics, see KODAK Publication No. H-1, KODAK Professional Motion Picture Films.

Diffuse RMS Granularity* Less than 5

Resolving Power†	TOC 1.6:1	80 lines/mm
	TOC 1000:1	160 lines/mm

*Read at a net diffuse visual density of 1.0, using a 48-micrometre aperture.

†Determined according to a method similar to the one described in ISO 6328-1982, Photography—Photographic Materials— Determination of ISO Resolving Power.

2 EASTMAN Color Internegative II Film 5272™ / 7272™ ∙ H-1-5272