[dyetransfer]

Do you think that this polymer stuff would imbibe dyes? Would it stick to completely raw (unsubbed) melinex?

The reason I ask is, if you could coat a layer of this polymer, and have it not lift off of unsubbed melinex, you could then coat a gelatin emulsion for subsequent sensitization and etching using the carbon method. However, it should not be able to imbibe the acid dyes used in dye-transfer processes or else you can't really get clean & clear highlights.

PhotoFormulary has a subbed melinex which is awesome, but I understand it's a somewhat limited supply and who doesn't like an alternative?

Just a thought!

You should try coating unsubbed polyester with a very thin (diluted) coating of Shellac. The solvent is Ethanol. I'm not sure how well it will coat on raw polyester, but it is worth a try. I do know that it works as a subbing layer, will adhere to polyester well, doesn't pickup any dye, and will hold gelatin quite strongly. You could probably get a print coating machine (used in photolabs) to coat sheets of polyester. I think these machines are used with solvent based coating materials. This would be used as a subbing layer, specifically for Matrix film use.

Regards - Jim Browning