What To Do?
Michael Elliott — Fine Art Film Photographer-Flâneur and Londoner at Big
If you hadn’t noticed I’ve written a rapid and dirty guide to creating your personal black and white film at property. If you have not checked it out go do so now. The final aspect of the improvement course of action is rinsing the film to take away the remaining chemical compounds and then a final wash in a rinse help like Photo-Flo.
A conversation I was obtaining with an individual on Facebook led to the query “What can I do if I have washed my negatives and they have drying marks on them?”. I believed about this — and I’ve knowledgeable it ahead of myself. It is a actually frustrating issue and there is not a single standout course of action.
Why does residue form?
Residue types on the film due to mineral deposits in the wash water that are left on the film when the water dries.
Rinse help (primarily a surfactant like dish-soap) reduces the surface tension of the water to enable the water to move freely off the film ahead of it dries and deposits the minerals.
When also a great deal rinse help is employed bubbles can kind that — rather counter-intuitively — trap the residue.
When also tiny rinse help is employed the water can not slough off the film swiftly adequate ahead of it dries and deposits the mineral scum.
To re-wash or not?
The initial issue is — if you have not reduce the roll into strips and it is nevertheless hanging it is rather quick to fill a tank or basin with distilled water and add Photo-Flo once more and then run the roll by means of the rinse option once more.
Hold the film at each ends preferably with the film clips nevertheless attached with the shiny (non-emulsion) side facing the bottom/sides of the tank. Working with a rocking motion dip the film into the rinse option and then move your left hand up and correct hand down then left hand down correct hand up repeating a couple of occasions. Take away shake the excess off and hang. Usually squeegee — only with gloved hands (marigolds perform nicely for this) — to assure there is minimal residue most likely to collect.
An option option
If you have — then it is nevertheless attainable to re-wash even so it is rather annoying. In these situations I may advise a option named “PEC-12” (photo-emulsion cleaner). Along with the fluid the business sells a pack of lint-absolutely free pads.
Squeeze a couple of drops (no a lot more) onto 1 of the pads fold it in half then holding 1 finish of the strip with a pair of tweezers run the strip by means of the pad. The pad folded more than ought to cover the entire of the emulsion and backing sides of the strip enabling you to clean in 1 motion from finish to finish.
Bear in thoughts that if you use also a great deal PEC-12 fluid it will leave its personal residue on the film so be a lot more sparing than liberal.
Conclusion
At the finish of the day when creating your film oneself at property you ought to aim to use distilled water for the final rinse only (exactly where you add the Photo-Flo). You do not have to have to use distilled water for any other option.
This would minimise the likelihood of mineral deposits becoming left on the film as the water dries ought to you use also a great deal or also tiny Photo-Flo.
If you do handle to uncover drying marks on the film right after it is dried if you have not reduce the film into strips basically re-wash in a new batch of Photo-Flo option.
If you have reduce into strips you can use a option named PEC-12 and some PEC pads to gently wipe the marks away.
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