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What Is an IB Print?
An IB print is an imbibition dye-transfer motion-picture print, usually associated with Technicolor. Its image is formed by transferring dyes onto a receiving film. The US National Archives glossary identifies IB Print / IB Tech Print as this dye-transfer element.
The name describes the printing process. It does not, by itself, identify the camera that photographed the movie, the original negative format or the condition of a surviving print.
What “Imbibition” Refers To
Imbibition refers to the absorption and transfer of the image dyes. In the familiar three-color Technicolor dye-transfer process, separate relief-film matrices carry the color records. The dyes are transferred in registration onto the receiving film to build the color image.
George Eastman Museum’s explanation of dye-transfer printing describes cyan, yellow and magenta dyes being transferred one at a time from dyed matrices to gelatin-coated film. Keeping those transfers precisely registered was essential to the finished image.
Printing Process vs. Camera Process
Technicolor is associated with several technologies across its history, so the word alone can be ambiguous. A reference to an IB print should not automatically be read as a reference to three-strip camera photography.
Dye-transfer prints could also be made from compatible single-strip color negatives. The museum-supported Film Atlas entry on Technicolor prints from color negatives describes deriving the separate matrices from such negatives. The acquisition method and the release-printing method are separate parts of the workflow.
IB Prints and Other Release Prints
A release print describes a print’s intended exhibition use. IB describes how its image was made. An IB print can therefore be a release print; the two labels do not name mutually exclusive categories.
When identifying film elements, keep the questions separate: What was photographed? Which element is this? How was its image formed? Was this copy intended for projection, duplication, reference or another purpose? A container label can help, but the actual material and documentation need to agree.
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Why the Term Appears in Archives
IB and IB Tech can appear on film cans, leaders, laboratory paperwork and collection records. Recognizing the printing process helps a projectionist, archivist or researcher understand what element they are handling and which production or printing history may be relevant.
The label is useful information, not a complete condition report. Image appearance, wear, shrinkage, damage and storage history still have to be assessed on the particular element. Do not infer that a print is an original camera element or that it is automatically ready for projection because it is described as IB.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does IB mean black-and-white?
No. In this motion-picture printing context, it means imbibition dye transfer and is usually associated with Technicolor color printing.
Does an IB print prove that a film was shot on three-strip Technicolor?
No. Dye-transfer prints could be derived from other compatible original materials, including single-strip color negatives.
Is an IB print the same thing as an answer print?
No. IB identifies an image-forming process. Answer print identifies an approval-stage print. Use the element’s documented purpose and printing method rather than treating the terms as synonyms.
Why It Matters
Film terminology often separates the camera original, laboratory intermediate and exhibition copy. IB belongs to that chain of distinctions. Knowing what it means prevents a printing method from being mistaken for a camera format, a black-and-white stock or a guarantee about the surviving material.
Related Terms
- Release Print A print intended for exhibition.
- Answer Print A print submitted for approval before release printing.
- Film Stock Photographic material used for capture, duplication or printing.
- Digital Intermediate A digital finishing stage that may lead to different delivery formats.
- Color Timing Photochemical control of print color and density.
Browse the filmmaking dictionary or explore terms beginning with I.