Earlier in the month we visited Compard KG near Hamburg to witness the manufacture of Firstcall’s unique range of black and white chemicals. Marketed as “Softpack”, this complete range of chemicals remains always fresh due to the flexible type of packing used. Drawing on inspiration from the food industry (and looking like a Capri-Sun drink pack) the carton's technology works by literally squeezing air out as the chemical is used, thereby offering the prospect of a never-ending active life from the liquid if the softpack is used correctly. With Firstcall’s Softpack range there’s no more having to cancel processing sessions because your darkroom chemicals are out of date and you need never throw away part used chemical bottles ever again. Based on the Agfa formulations the range covers film and print developers, fixer and stop-baths, ancillaries and even toners. With prices starting at just £3.79 you can see the full range at: https://www.firstcall-photographic.co.uk/search/softpack (The picture shows Rodney Bates of Firstcall and Matthias Schröeder, owner of Compard KG.)
20th April 2012