photo.net gallery Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 I am a new to black and white film development, and photography in general. While I enjoy BW photography very much, scratches and dusts drive me crazy. I seem to have controlled dust, but I still get fine scratches here and there. These scratches are horizontal but not on all frames, and are hard to see unless I scan the frame using a Nikon Coolscan V ED. I don't see the fine scratches on a wet print on 8x10 RC paper. I stopped using a squeege or running my fingers down the frames before drying, and used photoflo instead. I also stopped using the roll feed of the Coolscan, using the slide adapter instead. But no matter how careful I am, I still get these fine scratches once in a while. I am thinking that perhaps I am introducing the scratches when inserting them into the printfile. I have no problem with mounted slides, which I just keep in boxes. Can someone recommend an alternative 35mm sleeve or protector other than printfiles? I figure trying another sleeve can't hurt as I am running out of ideas. For info, I only use Tr-X, developed in DDX, and fixed in Ilford Rapidfixer. Last water rinse and phoflo in distilled water. I use water as stop bath. Thanks in advance for any information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_dorcich1 Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 I haven't seen anything other than print file, btw do you use a hardening fixer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photo.net gallery Posted February 4, 2008 Author Share Posted February 4, 2008 I believe the Ilford Rapidfixer is non-hardening. I forgot to mention that I have the same exact problem when I was using D76 and a harderning fixer (don't know the exact brand) at the community darkroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rnt Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Which side of the film is scratched? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photo.net gallery Posted February 4, 2008 Author Share Posted February 4, 2008 They are very difficult to see, but I believe they are on the shiny side (not emulsion). The first time this happened when I was taking a basic course, I gave a scratched negative to the instructor and he couldn't see the scratch from the negative even when using a loupe. The wet prints don't show them either but they definitely show, although faintly, in a scan. I will double check tonight but I believe they are all on the shiny side. I typically will not worry about this except I am trying to move to a hybrid workflow by developing at home and scanning, so I don't have to keep driving to the community darkroom (in a local college). I thought I could control the scratches by developing at home, but they are still there from time to time, and sometimes on the best frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_502260 Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 There are companies which sell archival supplies. I used to buy from University Products. They sell a roll of negative sleeve material. You cut it to the length you need and then you open it from the center to put in or take out each strip of negatives. This way you don't have to pull them through the material and risk scratches. I think one of the names of the material was Flip Lock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antonio_garcia_russell Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Patrick, what camera are you using - the scratches may originate in camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photo.net gallery Posted February 4, 2008 Author Share Posted February 4, 2008 I use a Leica MP. I was wondering about the camera too but my slides are all pristine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen sullivan Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Shoot Digital Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Put the film in fold-lock Mylar sheathing. (Readily available in long rolls or pre-cut lengths.) Then put it in PrintFile ULT 35-6BXW pages, which have large enough slots to hold the oversize Mylar sheaths. Otherwise, you can use the same Mylar sheathing in paper folders and boxes from Light Impressions. All the plastics have the problems of generating a large static charge, which attracts dust. The Polypropylene pages pair that with being rather soft, so that the dust can get embedded in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sg_adams Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 I did the same thing and let the film dry without wiping unless in a hurry to speed drying. If all your rolls are scratched, it is time for process of elimination first. Try a different batch of film, and diffrent type altogehter and check that. Then I am going to suggest also it may very well be the camera. Perhaps something on the backing pressure plate? You may not be able to see it, or feel it, but I've had a couple cameras with similar problems. But you already eliminated wiping your film, which suggests it either came that way, or has happened in your camera. I've had no processing scrathces since I let film air dry after photo-flo. Also, I'vebeen using Printfile's storage pages for 35mm, medium and large format and haven't had any problems other than the dust which I control to some extent by keeping the film pages in the ring binder boxes and ifnot using for a whileI tape the bigger holes where dust can get in. I have a major dust problem. I also use Vue-all brand film sleeve pages and haven'thad any trouble with them either, and I'm pretty rough with film I am only using for testing speeds contrast or lenses etc... That stuff just goes in open note books and let the dust have it. Color transparencies I snip in the sleeving they come in from the lab and slide sleeve and film into individual print file pockets. So re-check the camera, try a differnt film, look closely atyour developing equipment and make sure you aren't getting scratches from anything rubbing when loading or unloading tank reels etc... And if you don't intend to tone or reduce your negs etc... either add hardener or use a hardening fixer. Some films like Fuji Acros recommend the necessity of hardener, and many folks have commented on the fragile nature of Efke emulsions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithostertag Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 I wonder if it could have something to do with the film canister... or the way you handle them when unloading them? My only other thought was- you can't see them with a naked eye, you can't see them with a loupe, but you sometimes see them when using your Coolscan... though you say you have stopped using the roll feed it makes me wonder if the Coolscan could somehow be involved. I just can't imagine the printfiles scratching film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Bowes Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hello everyone. Ages ago I also noticed fine scrathes on my submini and 35/120 mm negs. All kinds of gymnastic's were tried until I hit upon this idea. Cut the corners of the film at 45 degrees to the length, just about 1/16 or 1/8 th of an inch. Your negs will go into the sleeve (whatever brand) much easier than if the neg has a square cut. Funny thing, most of the fine scratches also vanish! I will leave the reason to the pundits. Enjoy, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sg_adams Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Oopss, miss-read that you could see the scrathces. How about try a mounted slide and see if they show up there? Then I'd say the scanner has some dust or something stuck on it that creates the scanedline and appears like scratches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photo.net gallery Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 Thanks everyone. I will try several things starting with cutting the corners of the film at 45 degrees before inserting into the printfile and trying some fold lock sleeves from light impressions. I will also keep an eye on the camera and try to be extra careful when handling film in general. Incidentally, I checked some of the scratched negatives and there are some on the emulsion side too. The weird part is that some rolls come out perfect and none of my slides have this problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpo Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Besides ClearFile products, I use <a href="http://www.climaxphoto.com/film_kive.html">Film Kive</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwainfeld Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Kenro makes glassine paper negative file pages. I used to use Paterson glassine pages a long time ago and I remember them being easier to use than the Printfile pages. Kenro products can be found on the Novadarkroom web site. I have not tried to order them yet-they are located in England Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudymerz Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Patrick,<p> I was somehow suspicious regarding PrintFile. I therefore processed an unexposed film (AGFA APX 100 in Rodinal 1:25). I then checked every frame of it and put it in a PrintFile sleeve (35-7B). I then took the negatives out of the sleeve to recheck it. The result is that there are several fine scratches all over the negatives. The scratches are in length from a few mm to several inches. You can not see them on a light table, you have to take a magnifier and hold it against the light. To make it clear, there were NO scratches before I put them in the sleeves. I now have to look for another solution as well. Until I have found one I will put the negatives just in an envelope.<p> Rudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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