Making separation negatives using RA-4 material?

[T-grain]

OK, maybe I am reinventing the wheel, maybe this issue has been previously discussed at length (IDK), so I apologize in advance if this is the case.
And maybe it would be better to post this contribution to Chris' dye transfer post.....
But anyway:

I was thinking how nice it would work if one would separately expose a slide with all 3 colors on 3 sheets of RA4 material (possibly transparent), like Kodak Endura transparency, or some Ilfocolor transparent material. (just to check, ordinary RA4 paper would be perfect).
Then, you develop those exposed sheets in some ordinary BW developer (with no chromogenic activity) to get the desired contrast. Then you fix in your ordinary BW fixer and you get a BW negative image derived from one color only. PLUS, you can work with a dim 590nm light, not in total darkness (as you should with a panchromatic material).
Then you would get 3 negatives ready to be printed onto your gum-bichromate, carbon, DCG or any other material requiring contact printing with a UV source.
That would be the "analog route" to big negatives, doable in an average darkroom, without some expensive hardware (you don't even need an inkjet). And probably, any RA4 material is reasonably priced (since it is a mass product)

what do you think, fellows?

[Curt]

I have no idea but keep investigating it.

[Photo Engineer]

Why not use LF sheet film then? That would work. The transparent Endura is really a bit translucent. It is intended for poster ads.

PE

[DREW WILEY]

I'd be concerned about the linearity, ability to boost and balance contrast to suitable DMax, and cost. But if you want to try it, what the heck?

[wildbillbugman]

I have used Kodak Duraclear RA-4 clear film for this very Thing, I have 3 huge 24x24 multi-layered separation prints made like this. Today, Duraclear is digitaly exposed using tri-color lasers, but still developed via RA-4. Cofusingley, Duraclear is transparent. Duratrans is translucent. It will still work using an enlarger.
Bill

[wildbillbugman]

T-Grain,
You just gave me an idea. Like 4 simultanius,and very different, projects are not enough for me. Today's digital negatives employ not only density, but color(hue) for optimum absorbtion/reflection for a given process. There are several methods published for generating curves for optimum digital negatives. It occured to me that the same thing could be done with an analog (RA-4) processed transparent color film. An expensive way for making negatives! But why not?
Bill

[Photo Engineer]

These curves with masking and C/M/Y/K images were used in the printing industry for years.

PE

[wildbillbugman]

Yes P.E.
I' m realy good at reinventing the wheel. But then, the wheel has been reinvented thousands of times. Try puting wooden wagon wheels on a BMW.
Bill

[Photo Engineer]

Bill;

I've done that myself at EK a few times!

PE

[T-grain]

thanks, guys! looks like something interesting is developing out of this post (pun intended)
PE, even if Endura is translucent-this is probably the back of the material, probably not an issue, or the same (not to the same extent) as when using paper negatives? isn't sheet film a bit more expensive than RA4 material? that's why I came to the idea of using it.....
Bill, thanks for the info, and I am glad that I am not the only "reinventor of the wheel"