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Scratches
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Hi guys,
I only started developing film myself at the start of the summer and i’ve noticed that there are hairline scratches across a lot of the photos and i dont know where they are coming from. So im just trying to figure out 2 things;
i) where could they be coming from?
ii) and what can i do to try prevent my film from getting scratched?Thanks
A few possibilities that spring to mind if you are noticing scratches on your negatives:
1) something in the camera is scratching the film
2) you are inadvertently scratching the film during development
3) the film is being scratched by grit in the velvet film gate of the film cartridgeI am sure others will chime in with other possible causes, and would suggest amalgamating the potential causes with detailed info on what you are seeing, which should hopefully identify what the cause is.
By the way, I would suggest ruling out that what you are seeing is not simply dust/ hairs, but actual scratches/ scratching.
Good luck with sorting out the issue.
when you take the processed film out of the tank before you hang it up do you remove the excess water? I always use my fingers as a squeegee and i remember once feeling a little piece of grit travel the length of the film. lo and behold id scratched the lot! a proper squeegee is worse, at least with your hand you can feel it!
could it be something when you’re loading the film onto the spiral?
Thanks,
Its not an issue with the camera because i recently put a C41 through it and got it developed in a lab and it was perfect(the film, not the photos :))
I was thinking maybe it was the sleeves i was using to store them in because I did a print of the same photo on different days and the first day there was no scratches? Its seems to be hair line scratches?
Is there anything I can use while developing the film or afterwards that might make them a bit more resilient?
Could be lots of things, but the three main reason I would think are:
– Could be the camera scratching it. Look at the scratches on different roles. Are the scratches in the exact same place i.e. how far are they in from the sides of the film, is it always the same eg 5mm in on the right or what ever? If they are then its the camera other wise its something after the film has been exposed
– After that your looking at the cleaning of the film after fixing and washing. Do not use a squeegee to dry the film? do not use your fingers? As a rule I NEVER handle negatives with my bare hands. I wash my film with a water squirter.
– I have had problem with clear film sleeves scratching film. I now always use paper like glassine sleeves
You can use a hardening fixer to make the roles more scratch resistant, but this only works after the fixing stage… Cheaper films like Fomapan are prone to scratches where as a better brands of film like kodak, ilford or fuji are less likely to scratch.
Another possibility is if you are using a bulk loader to make up your rolls of film. I had one that scratched every roll of film that I loaded until I pinpointed the source.
like martin, i never handle the film after developing. i hang to dry.
i have only ever suffered scratches theat were produced in the camera.
Like yourself hooper I’m not developing long, at the very beginning,while getting used to loading the reels I did scratch quite a few rolls,mostly when I didn’t get it right first time and had to unwind, I break the reel apart now if it happens, actually that’s how I unload them too after washing. I felt resistance once when trying to pull the washed film off the reel so have done it since,not sure if that’s the way it should be done, doesn’t damage the film anyway. I then just hang up to dry, I used my fingers to squeegee on the very first roll I developed but I must have had a rough bit of skin on my finger,scratched the hole roll. I’d check your reel too for dirt or a raised edge, you’d never know,could be the culprit.
Martin wrote:
As a rule I NEVER handle negatives with my bare hands. I wash my film with a water squirter.
I second that.
I use a spray bottle with photo-flo/ wetting agent mixed with distilled water, and spray the negs thoroughly as the last thing I do when the negs are hanging, before letting them to dry. I find this removes any need for fingers/ squeegees, and have had no adverse effects from this approach.
Minimal handling of your film is always advisable, if only from a risk reduction point of view, in my opinion.
I rinse my films in Agfa AG Stab and hang to dry without touching them. Never get scratches or drying marks.
Years ago I used a piece of folded kitchen paper to remove excess moisture before hanging to dry. I don’t do this anymore though as it always leaves marks, kitchen paper isn’t what it used to be :lol:
Now after washing I use Ilford wetting agent and when done unspool the film, give it a gentle shake and hang to dry without touching it with paper, squeegee or fingers, works perfectly.
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