4x5 drying squeegee or not

[jawphotos]

<p>I shot my first 4x5 sheets in 4 yrs. on tuesday i am going to soup them tonight and i cant remember if i should squeegee the film before i hang it to dry or should i just hang it.<br>

thank you</p>

[bkpix]

<p>Squeegees just invite scratches.</p>

[richterjw]

<p>Just hang it. JR</p>

[jawphotos]

<p>thanks guys and wish me luck</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>Negative... I mean no.<g> Just use PhotoFlo.</p>

[john_a5]

<p>I never squeegied the film, but photoflo and then after a few minutes I would use the edge of a paper towel--just at the tip of the film, to eliminate the droplet that formed there. Sometimes that would leave a mark and removing it solved the possibility of it happening.</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>Oh, one more important tip: dry them diagonally, not horizontally. That way the Photoflo runs off he neg to the bottom most point, and onto the floor.</p>

[rick_jones5]

<p>I was a no squeegee guy until I read an article by Howard Bond detailing his efforts to reduce his print spotting chores. He concluded most of the white spots on his prints were caused by particles that dry on the negative. While that problem can't be completely eliminate he found the biggest improvement came from squeegeeing washed sheet film negatives just before hanging to dry. He was very particular about what brand of squeegee to use and went into detail about his procedure. Suffice to say not everyone thinks a squeegee is only for windows.</p>

[john romano]

<p>I agree with the no squeegee responses.</p>

<p>When wet, the emulsion is expanded, and very soft, and can be easily damaged. I recommend to use a wetting agent (PhotoFlo) in distilled water. After agitating the film in PhotoFlo for 45 seconds, handle the film by the edges, and hang it up to dry in a dust free area. Let it dry overnight if you can. The emulsion will harden, and you will not see any water marks by using distilled water with the wetting agent.<br>

I've done it this way for over 40 years, with no problems.</p>