Light edges on B&W prints

<p>Hi guys,<br>

I am new to film photography, been doing all digital up until a month ago. I have noticed that when I print my negatives, that often the edges (along the sprocket holes only) will be maybe a half stop or so lighter than the center of the print. It is not really that apparent in the negatives but it is in the prints. The light areas run the entire length of the frame, not just around the sprocket holes.</p>

<p>Is there something I am doing wrong when I process my film? Too much or too little agitation?</p>

<p>Any help will be most appreciated!</p>

<p>Steve</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Without actually seeing an example, it's hard to ID the problem. It sounds to me like you have a light leak. Check the seals to see if they're okay. By the way, what camera are you using?</p>

<p>Eneven density in negatives usually points to 2 possibilities. <br>

A leak like Vincent suggests or agitation technique.</p>

<p>What type reels are you using? Plastic or stainless?</p>

<p>I am using stainless reels. It seems that a light leak would make the print edges dark rather than light. I suspect the problem is either too much or too little agitation.</p>

<p>Here is a scan of a negative that I am talking about:</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

<p>I am using stainless reels. It seems that a light leak would make the print edges dark rather than light. I suspect the problem is either too much or too little agitation.</p>

<p>Here is a scan of a negative that I am talking about:</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

<p>Steve this clearly looks like <em>over</em> agitation. It is unlikely that you have light leaks. How long and how often are you agitating in the developer, stop and fix?</p>

<p>It <em>is </em> an agitation or developer distribution issue, not a light leak. You should agitate every 30 seconds by rocking the tank (I nearly invert the tank upside down) 7 times. What film and developer are you using, what time and temp also?</p>

<p>Hi Steve,</p>

<p>You write:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>It is not really that apparent in the negatives but it is in the prints.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>If you are printing in a wet darkroom, the problem may be the enlarger. Is the condenser set for the film size you are printing? How old is the bulb?</p>

<p>You don't mention if the negatives are more dense at the edges than they are in the center, but it does look like that might be the case. A light leak would be very obvious with the edges being completely black or nearly so. If in fact the negatives are more dense at the edges, then the problem is likely one of not enough agitation. I know I'll be excoriated for saying this, but it's true. Insufficient, or overly gentle agitation will exchange the developer around the edges of the film without providing enough exchange towards the center of the film strip. Therefore the edges receive more development, and build more density than the center. The way around it, of course, is to agitate quite vigorously. Don't worry about this either, because it is nearly impossible to be too vigorous with your technique as long as you don't manage to dislodge the film from the reel in the process. The idea is to thoroughly redistribute all the developer in the tank, and you can't do that by being overly gentle about it. When I use SS reels and tanks, I do five or six complete inversions in five seconds every half minute. Each complete inversion turns the tank completely upside down, and I tap bottom of the tank agains the counter top at the end of the cycle to dislodge any air bubbles that might have been trapped on the film or reel.</p>

<p>To see if it is the enlarger, make an enlargement of no negative. Expose the paper enough to get a neutral gray. Process. If there's light falloff, you're either using too short a focal length lens for your film format (say 120 through a 50mm), or something is wrong with the light bulb or condenser settings.<br>

I presume you are stopping down your enlarging lens a few stops, it might well vignette on it's own wide open.</p>

<p>Yeah, could be the enlarger.</p>

<p>I'm inclined to agree with Scott on this one. I also think it is over-agitation. I give just one inversion of the tank every 30 seconds. If it were light distribution from the enlarger then I would expect it to be more noticeable on the ends of the print not the sides and even more so in the corners. However, just check it anyway - switch the enlarger on and with the neg carrier in place, and the lens focussed, look at the rectangle of white light on the easel and see if it looks even.</p>

<p>steve, can you say if this is evident on the negative (are the edges of the negative darker)? And is the problem just on the image area or do you also get it outside of the print 'area'.</p>

<p>If it's not evident on the negative, then it's a problem with your enlarger.</p>

<p>If it's evident on the negative, it's your processing or the camera / film handling.</p>