English translation: colour positive OR transparency
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Explanation: 'ektachrome' is used generically in FR to refer to colour reversal films, more commonly known as a 'colour transparency' or (in technical graphics terms), a 'colour positive' — in layman's language, a 'colour slide'
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 12 hrs (2010-03-10 08:37:00 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Alex, as you say: yes indeed there are digital cameras of quality regularly used by professionals — though for art printing, silver-based images are still common.
But the real point is, if they specify a digital camera image, the world and his/her civil partner will come along with their grotty images taken with the digi cam found in their packet of washing powder — this used to be a huge problem for us on the magazine where I worked! Even though they were 'digital', the quality of the images varied wildly.
So short of specifying one particular camera (and assuming the person knows how to use it!), this is a good short-hand way (and indeed soemthing of a euphemism!) of saying "we want a proper, high-quality image suitable for reproduction in print"
Of course, it may also be to do with the technical requirements of their specific printing process; in particular, the resolution of a 5×4 tranny is more suitable for blowing up to large sizes (posters, calendars, etc.) than even the best digital cameras on the market today.
Thanks, Alex, for that extra background information.
It's important to emphasize that in FR the term has now moved into the realms of the generic (like hoover for vacuum cleaner), and so is used in the printing industry to refer to any kind of colour positive (regardless of the film on which it was actually shot).
Note that here we are referring to a large-format image (5×4), the sort of thing produced by a professional photographer using a technical camera.
Ektachrome (trademark)Ektachrome (marque) : "Film positif de diapostives couleurs fabriqué par la société Eastman Kodak", (très utilisé par les photographes professionnels travaillant pour la publicité. Abr : Ekta
"A postive colour transparency film manufactured by the Eastman Kodak Company". D.A.T., 57. Very popular among professional photographers working in advertising)
[Dict. bilingue de la publicité et de la communication, Duvillier & Grüber]
...in photography and graphics, it simply isn't used that way: an 'ekta' in FR is specifically a colour positive image, as are of course much more commonly used in the professional world than actual prints.
Tony: Ektachorome is indeed a color slide film, 35 mm film in fact. The "Ektachrome" required measures 10x12 cm. It does not seem unreasonable to "guess" that it is a print. I have printed many a picture from Ektachrome Color slides.
Ektachrome is a color film manufactured by Kodak. I would guess the they mean a color print then.
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Ektachrome de l'œuvre
colour positive OR transparency of the work
Explanation: 'ektachrome' is used generically in FR to refer to colour reversal films, more commonly known as a 'colour transparency' or (in technical graphics terms), a 'colour positive' — in layman's language, a 'colour slide'
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 12 hrs (2010-03-10 08:37:00 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Alex, as you say: yes indeed there are digital cameras of quality regularly used by professionals — though for art printing, silver-based images are still common.
But the real point is, if they specify a digital camera image, the world and his/her civil partner will come along with their grotty images taken with the digi cam found in their packet of washing powder — this used to be a huge problem for us on the magazine where I worked! Even though they were 'digital', the quality of the images varied wildly.
So short of specifying one particular camera (and assuming the person knows how to use it!), this is a good short-hand way (and indeed soemthing of a euphemism!) of saying "we want a proper, high-quality image suitable for reproduction in print"
Of course, it may also be to do with the technical requirements of their specific printing process; in particular, the resolution of a 5×4 tranny is more suitable for blowing up to large sizes (posters, calendars, etc.) than even the best digital cameras on the market today.
Tony M France Local time: 15:12 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 94
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +5