I need help perfecting my film development

[pete_gregar1]

I am to the point now where I get decent developed negatives, but I

still have one problem.

 

When I try to print from my negatives there is always dust and spots

on the negatives.

I then have to use Pec-12 and Pec pads to "clean" the negatives.

During this process I manage to clean them up, but I also scratch them.

 

I guess the best is to not get any water spots, and minimize the dust.

The dust doesn't seem to easily brush off. (I have an anti-static brush)

It is almost stuck to the negatives.

 

Here are my steps.

SS tanks and reels, film loaded and soaked for less then 1 min.

Develope per directions

rinse per directions

fix per directions.

Let sit in running water 15min (trickle from the sink)

add a dash of photoflow and remove strips.

Hang with weight to dry.

 

Should I get a film squeege?

Different chemical to remove water spots?

[art_haykin]

If you are still getting water spots after using Photo-flo, your water must be VERY hard. Also, film must be hung in a dust free environmentment for drying. Further, your printing area must be as dust free as possible. It is nearly impossible to avoid all dust. I squeeged all my film for decades with nary a scratch, and cleaned my negs just before printing with a silicone cloth made for this purpose, when needed.

[pete_gregar1]

I think it looks more like gunk on the negatives.

I sometimes get water spots... but not all the time.

I will scan and post a print I made a few days ago.<div></div>

[phork]

After washing the film, soak for 30 seconds in a foto-flo solution made with distilled water. then hang to dry. If you really are getting

dust dried on to the negative, you need to find some place better to dry your negatives, maybe a bathroom or a dust free cabinet.

[conrad_hoffman]

Everybody has their own receipe for clean negs, and they're usually amazed that anybody else's routine can work at all :-) Here's mine: no distilled water, but I have a water filter in the line to catch grit. My darkroom is also the laundry room, so it's full of lint, dust, dog hair, and things too awful to mention. No matter, the trick is to keep humidity high and not stir up dust. I hang my film and leave. If your heating/cooling system uses ducts and fans, you've got trouble. Also, Photoflo has a bad rep. Read the directions and follow 'em. 1:200 and let the film spend some time in the stuff with agitation. Finally, I'm with Art. I do use a photo sponge, wet with the properly diluted Photoflo and squeezed out, to remove the bulk of water from the film. Rinse the sponges with clean water and store them in a plastic bag, open on one end so they can dry. My negs need nothing more than a squirt of air from an ear syringe for defect free prints- examine the top surface of the neg by opening the enlarger. If you see dust, blow it off, because it *will* print!

[pat_krentz]

I just wipe my film with moist sponges and hang in a closet with the door shut for a couple of hours, no dust. Pat

[pat_krentz]

I wipe my film with moist sponges and then hang it in a closet and shut the door, no photo-flo or any thing like it. No trouble. Pat

[don_sigl]

I recommend that you filter your water or use a final soak in distilled water. I had excessive problems with dust an lint on both negatives and prints until I added a filtration system.

I use a drop of clear dishwashing soap intead of photoflow. Its cheaper and works fine leaving no residue.

[pete_gregar1]

Is there a certain brand of photo sponge?

I have never seen one of those.

 

I will look into a water filter for my sink...

[ed b.]

I never had good luck with photo sponges--they get dirty or contaminated with chemicals and cause problems eventually. What I ultimately settled on was a final soak in distilled water with 2 drops of Edwal LFN low-foam wetting agent per liter (LFN is clearly superior to PhotoFlo and a small bottle will last for years). As Conrad says, in order to keep the negs from attracting dust during drying, it helps to have high relative humidity. One contributor in the past has said he runs hot water in the shower until the mirror fogs up, then hangs his film there.

[lex_jenkins]

Hang your film strip beneath a ceiling fan. The air circulation dries the film quickly and blows dust away. Doesn't sound like it would work but I've been doing this for a couple of weeks and it works very well.

 

Here are my final steps:

 

1. After tap water rinse I empty the tank and cover the reel with distilled water. Agitate to rinse off any mineral deposits. Add photo-flo if you like - I don't.

 

2. Hang the negs beneath a ceiling fan. I clip one end to the light fixture beneath the fan.

 

3. With the top end clipped overhead, I squeegee the film carefully between my fingers - forefinger and middle finger. I tried a regular film squeegee and it scratched my negs. Using my fingers does not - if there were any grit I could feel it immediately and stop (you know how sensitive fingers are when wet). If you're worried about oil, salt or acids from your skin, wash your hands thorough first - they should stay clean long enough to perform this step. I find that the entire process of development keeps my hands clean enough as-is.

 

4. To the lower end I clip enough weight to help keep the film straight - usually a hemostat (stainless steel surgical clamp - available at medical and military surplus stores).

 

That's it. No problems with dust becoming embedded in the emulsion. And our home is rather dusty - we live in a rural area with a gravel driveway and far too many cats.

 

In less than an hour the film is dry enough to print with. But it will remain straighter longer after cutting if I let it dry longer with the weight attached. So it depends on how anxious I am to get started. I could actually begin printing within 30 minutes after hanging the film but I use a glass negative carrier and don't want to risk damaging the still-delicate emulsion.

[paul_harris]

I also like Edwal LFN, in distilled water for the final 1-minute rinse. I put the reels in a salad spinner (lettuce centrifuge-thingy). I fasten the reels to the basket with small cable ties, opposite each other for balance. Spin for 1 1/2 minutes or so. Most of the water is removed without touching the film. Take off the reels and hang up in a warm, humid place, using the shower as mentioned above. No squeegee or sponge. No spots, very little dust.

[gerald_koch]

Add 4 drops of Photoflo to 8 ounces of water. Immerse the reel for a few seconds and then hang up the film. Take a good quality sponge and wet it with the photoflo solution and GENTLY wipe the excess water off both sides of the film. Discard the photoflo solution after use. Allow the film to dry for several hours, I usually let it dry overnight. Just because it looks dry doesn't mean that all the moisture is out of the emulsion. Unless the film is completely dry it will scratch easily. Cut the film into 6 exposure lengths and put into protective sleeves or pages.

 

If you are not already doing so, use a hardening fixer.

 

Before handling your negatives, wash your hands to remove any oil so you won't leave fingerprints, or use cotton gloves which you can get at most good camera stores.

[pete_gregar1]

I always discard the photoflo when I am finished.

I also always wait at least 1 day before I print.

Most of the time it is a week or longer.

 

I think the main things I am missing is distiled water and the sponge.

[john_stockdale2]

We often succeed without knowing exactly why. I always use a film squeegee and have never had a problem, even with tap water. I realise it's only because of the good water supply here. Likewise, the dust in the environment. I thought I was pretty good at keeping dust off negatives until I moved house!

 

My only advice would be to consider how to keep your sponge clean if you use one. I can't imagine how you could ensure that it's clean enough to prevent contamination. Maybe I'm paranoid.

[renee_mansell]

Everyone's advice up to here has been great Pete. One more trick that may help as well though: After rinsing negs in Photoflo, pull them off the reel and and then curl them back up in the tank without the reel. This is best done by holding the roll above the tank and slowly lowering as and it will usually conform to the tank itself. Then you are free to take the tank with you to wherever you hang your negs. This way you are not carrying a wet strip anywhere with you and 'pulling' it through all the dust in the air. I don't have a drying closet myself and I usually hang negs to dry from the bedroom light fixture and close the door. If I do have dust, I worry about it when the negs are cut and rewash the strips that need it as they only take about 20 minutes to dry if you pat the drops off the bottom edge a few times.

Hope this helps.

[gerald_koch]

About keeping the sponge clean and uncontaminated -- squeeze it as dry as possible and place it in a ziplock bag. The Photoflo seems to keep it from growing any mold even though it remains wet. Before using it again, rinse it under running water, squeeze dry and then wet it with the Photoflo solution before using on the negatives. Sponges will start to crumble after awhile so check it as you're rinsing it or toss it after a couple of months, they're cheap enough.

 

Using distilled water isn't necessary.

 

I've never had any problems and have been using this system for more than 20 years. If you follow Kodak's dilution for the Photoflo, the solution is too concentrated and it WILL leave a residue on the film particularly if your water supply is hard. I have had film squeegee's scratch the film and even with a sponge you want to apply only enough pressure to keep the sponge in contact with the film.

[chris_waller]

Pete,

 

I've been there and the only answer is an almost religious approach to cleanliness and technique. Think Japanese Tea Ceremony! Meticulous attention to detail. And endless practice.

[carl_crosby3]

You have gotten lots of good advice, and some that I will try. In addition, there are a couple of things that might help: Use a drying aid. The only one I know about now is Rexton flash dry , available from B&H or ADORAMA. This speeds up drying, giving dust a minimal time to settle and damage the negs. We used to use the Yankee preparation back in the stone ages. The other trick is get a fabric or plastic garment bag, the 1' x 2' things with zipper closure that hang in closets, that all of the "Mart" stores sell, and hang film in it, (after vacuuming well before use) which will cut down the amount of dust. The only alternative is to become a WIZARD with the spotting brush and colors. CC