SP-445 4x5 Film Processing System (Daylight tank)

[Tim Meisburger]

Mine arrive this morning. I have not used it yet, but thought I would start a thread for impressions, reviews, tips, etc. specific to this tank.

My initial impressions:

- Its smaller than I expected (I don't know why I expected it to be bigger). I can see already that this will be my go to for travel, as it will fit easily in a suitcase (much easier than the Paterson Orbital I currently use for travel). I expect it would be as easy to load in a darkbag as holders are. Companion for the Travelwide.

- It uses more chemistry that an Orbital, but I expect you can use the same chemistry for several loads, whereas I use the Orbital one-shot.

- fit and finish are fine, except one small bit of flash on the bottom of the tank that makes it a little wobbly. A sharp chisel or a fingernail file will fix that easily.

I'm happy so far. I'll update after I have used it.

[Michael R]

Here's a new video the makers posted. Note the suggestion to squeeze the tank a little while capping to get a better seal. Not sure if that is necessary or not. Anyhow I'm looking forward to trying it out as soon as mine arrives. Should be any day now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTrtU0bhArQ

[Bob Mann]

Just received one and ran a few sheets through it. I used Diafine as that is my quick developer for small runs, the tank worked fine. Sheet holders loaded easily and the tank did not leak. However, three of the four sheets I developed did have lines/marks on the back from the ridges on the film holder. I may need to look into how I do the wash cycle, perhaps remove the film from the holders and wash using stainless holders in a dip tank?

This is a small section, the vertical lines are a match for the ridges on the film holder. I am going to do a rewashing later today to see if that will remove them.

154281

[Mike Reyburn]

I received my tank a couple of days ago. Just finished processing two sheets of TMX in Xtol, 1:3 dilution. I photographed the north sky and an evenly lit wall (checked with my Sekonic L508 spot meter) to check for uneven development. I used inversion agitation, 4- inversions every minute for the 13 minute development time, using two inversions each direction which took about 10 seconds. The tank fills and drains rapidly, however I had to tip it back and forth a couple of times to completely drain the tank. It appears to be a well designed and made tank. Very easy to load. I plan to examine both sheets with my densotimeter after the film drys. However, the development appears to be very uniform per visual inspection.

Normally I develop 4X5 using a Jobo 3010 on a Chromega motor base from my Cibachrome days. Since I often develop two to four sheets at one time, this new SP-445tank will be very useful and convenient and it permits the use of intermittent agitation.

[Mike Reyburn]

I forgot to mention that I used continuous agitation during the stop bath and fixer cycle. I fixed the film for 5 minutes in Ilford Rapid Fixer, 1:4 dilution. After 3 quick rinses and a two minute bath in Perma Wash, I removed the film from the holders and completed the final wash in a Yankee tank.

[tim48v]

Bob,
In our testing, continuous agitation (with the wetting agent) for 60 seconds eliminated any lines. Of course, it may depend on the film you're using, how you agitate, how much wetting agent you used, which one you used, etc. Please keep us posted.

Tim



Just received one and ran a few sheets through it. I used Diafine as that is my quick developer for small runs, the tank worked fine. Sheet holders loaded easily and the tank did not leak. However, three of the four sheets I developed did have lines/marks on the back from the ridges on the film holder. I may need to look into how I do the wash cycle, perhaps remove the film from the holders and wash using stainless holders in a dip tank?

This is a small section, the vertical lines are a match for the ridges on the film holder. I am going to do a rewashing later today to see if that will remove them.

154281

[Bob Mann]

As a follow up - I had success with two procedures

1. Removing the film sheets and using stainless hangers in a dip tank for washing resulted in film without the lines.

2. As I have used Diafine in dip tanks with rather passive agitation I decided to change it up for a comparison. I ran a batch through the SP-445 using a much more aggressive agitation approach throughout the process. During the wash cycle I also used agitation and on the last step used Photoflo with a minute of agitation. Sheets do not show signs of the lines on the back side.

My problem is solved - operator error

As a comment from limited use (4 cycles) - I would have liked an attachment for a hose for washing, or perhaps a funnel. As I recall from using the Combi-plan tank years ago there was a slip on attachment for washing.

[Bob Salomon]

As a follow up - I had success with two procedures

1. Removing the film sheets and using stainless hangers in a dip tank for washing resulted in film without the lines.

2. As I have used Diafine in dip tanks with rather passive agitation I decided to change it up for a comparison. I ran a batch through the SP-445 using a much more aggressive agitation approach throughout the process. During the wash cycle I also used agitation and on the last step used Photoflo with a minute of agitation. Sheets do not show signs of the lines on the back side.

My problem is solved - operator error

As a comment from limited use (4 cycles) - I would have liked an attachment for a hose for washing, or perhaps a funnel. As I recall from using the Combi-plan tank years ago there was a slip on attachment for washing.

The CombiPlan T tank came with two light tight hose connectors. One on the bottom of one side panel and one on the top. A standard hose could slip onto either one.

[Nigel Smith]

just reporting they have found their way to Melbourne. Australia!

[mitrajoon]

I hope some others will describe their experiences and that someone will compare the SP-445 to the Mod54.

[thereisnocat]

I've been using a Mod54 for the past year or two. I received my SP-445 earlier this week and ran my first film through it last night. I'm hard pressed to tell any difference in the results; the output seems to me to be the same. The Mod54 is harder to load; I find it easy to get sheets touching each other. I wind up developing four sheets at most rather than the six sheet capacity as a result. The SP-445 loads easily; the fact that it uses something similar to regular film holders means I don't have to think so much about it, just use my muscle memory. The difference in the amount of chemistry it requires is another point in favor of the SP-445; it takes less than half. That's not such a big deal with fixer, or with C-41 and E-6 chemistry, since I mix up the full quart/liter of chemistry that the kits come with, but for black and white, it's definitely a plus to not have to mix up a full liter. I also find with the Mod54 that I have to be more gentle with my agitation than with pretty much any other system I use. I had a few instances where the film slipped off its mark due to the style of agitation I was using. The SP-445 doesn't seem to mind a little more action in agitation.

The SP-445 seems slightly more prone to leaking during agitation than a Mod54 + Patterson tank setup, but the leaking from the SP-445 wasn't significant, and I've had issues with the Mod54 and tank occasionally as well.

All in all, my first impression of the SP-445 is very positive. It seems more robust to me than my Mod54. I'm keeping an open mind at this point, but the first round here went to the SP-445.

[esearing]

Mine has tracked as far as NY on 8/23 but doesn't seem to be moving.

[Alan9940]

Just got my SP-445 in the mail, yesterday. Here is my preliminary findings:

1. Overall, the tank is very well constructed. I had to remove a couple of very tiny pieces of flash in the notches under the lid, but it was nothing.

2. I've heard of a number of caps arriving cracked because the shipping company in HK didn't pack the tanks as Tim had instructed, but I thought mine was adequately packaged and the caps are fine.

3. If the tank leaks with inversion agitation, I didn't notice; I normally get a bit of liquid down the side of any tank I use and in the sink. I'm not the most accurate pour! :)

4. The film holders are very easy to load with film and the holders slip into the tank without issue.

5. No scratches or other bugaboos; negs are nice and clean looking.

6. One of my primary concerns with any development method is evenness of development. My "stress test" to determine this is to expose a smooth white card in even light to Zone VI exposure; filling the entire frame with the card. I very happy to report that the SP-445 produced an absolutely even looking neg across the entire frame!

7. Along with #6, I didn't notice any areas of increased density (like around edges, for example) anywhere on any of the negs.

8. One trick I discovered which may help others... I found it very difficult to remove the developed film from the holders upon completion. I don't know if it was some sort of suction or something between the film base side and the holder itself or simply that my fingers and the holders were too wet for me to get a good grip, but I just couldn't pull the film out of the holder. Here's the trick: Fill a tray, basin, or whatever with water and toss the holders in. After a few seconds, grab the holder, give it a couple shakes, grab the film and it will easily pull out.

Oh, one thing I forgot... When I saw the film holder for real I was concerned that the film might dislodge or simply float up out of the holder upon inversion because there is nothing holding the film in at the top. I'm happy to report that this didn't happen.

Overall, based on this first test run I'm extremely pleased with this tank. It's even fun to use! :)

I hope something I've written here helps others and I wish Stearman Press great success with this tank.

[Nigel Smith]

8. One trick I discovered which may help others... I found it very difficult to remove the developed film from the holders upon completion. I don't know if it was some sort of suction or something between the film base side and the holder itself or simply that my fingers and the holders were too wet for me to get a good grip, but I just couldn't pull the film out of the holder. Here's the trick: Fill a tray, basin, or whatever with water and toss the holders in. After a few seconds, grab the holder, give it a couple shakes, grab the film and it will easily pull out.


yep, I held mine under the tap to get them out.

[Bob Mann]

Back again to report more troubles with streaking. There are two larger ridges on the film holder near the middle that make contact with the film back during processing. Running a few sheets through the tank resulted in visible marks, they did not disappear even with an additional washing cycle using dip hangers. I have only been using Bregger film, so either it is a problem with the film having a coating on the back, or it is a problem of the film sticking to the holder during processing. With a success rate of about 50% so far, I am not sure if this is going to work for me.

154377

[tim48v]

Bob,
Make sure your film holders are "flat", we've heard of one other user that had a slightly curved film holder that could cause the film to be pressed against the holder. If so, it's pretty easy to just warm up the film holder in hot water (not boiling!) and straighten it with your fingers.

BTW, we've processed other films with a coating on the back with no problem.

Let us know what you find.

Tim

[baro-nite]

Tim, thank you for this excellent device. It's not every day we see a new product for large format photography. I hope it is a big success.

I've just run several batches through mine. After a couple I noticed that there was always one sheet out of the four that wouldn't release easily from the holder. And I noticed a couple of streaks of anti-halation dye left on the back of a couple of sheets. Genius that I am, I posited a causal link between these two facts. I had done some smoothing to catch any rough edges but one side of one holder still had less space where the film runs under the tabs that hold the film in place. So I worked more aggressively on that one, and now the film releases easily and I haven't seen any more streaks.

Also, now that I'm carefully following the suggestion to squeeze the tank before closing the second cap, I'm getting very little leaking. Sometimes none.

My suggestion is to take a scrap piece of film and load it. Turn the holder top down and check if the film slides out by itself, or with just a slight shake. If not, get to work till it does. Check all four sides.

[tim48v]

Interesting. In theory, they should all be exactly the same dimensions. (However, we all know how well theory holds up in the real world.)

Is the film holder curved at all? That might apply enough pressure to make a difference.

If you're getting any leaking, check the mold parting lines on the inside of the "Vent" end of the tank. (Most are pretty flush, some are more noticable.) They can be polished down with a little 320 grit wet/dry sandpaper and water. We're going to post a "tune up" note that covers this.

[baro-nite]

Both are curved some, but it's only one side of one of them that tends to stick. I did try the hot water trick to straighten in, and had some success. Having reported above that I solved the sticking problem, the batch I just ran it stuck again. So I'll take another look tomorrow.

No leaking now, but I'll check where you indicate, thanks.

[tim48v]

Are you using a wetting agent?

[vdonovan]

Alan, your experience is similar to mine. I absolutely LOVE this tank. It really is fun and easy to use. So far I've got excellent results, with good consistency and even development.


Just got my SP-445 in the mail, yesterday. Here is my preliminary findings:

1. Overall, the tank is very well constructed. I had to remove a couple of very tiny pieces of flash in the notches under the lid, but it was nothing.

2. I've heard of a number of caps arriving cracked because the shipping company in HK didn't pack the tanks as Tim had instructed, but I thought mine was adequately packaged and the caps are fine.

3. If the tank leaks with inversion agitation, I didn't notice; I normally get a bit of liquid down the side of any tank I use and in the sink. I'm not the most accurate pour! :)

4. The film holders are very easy to load with film and the holders slip into the tank without issue.

5. No scratches or other bugaboos; negs are nice and clean looking.

6. One of my primary concerns with any development method is evenness of development. My "stress test" to determine this is to expose a smooth white card in even light to Zone VI exposure; filling the entire frame with the card. I very happy to report that the SP-445 produced an absolutely even looking neg across the entire frame!

7. Along with #6, I didn't notice any areas of increased density (like around edges, for example) anywhere on any of the negs.

8. One trick I discovered which may help others... I found it very difficult to remove the developed film from the holders upon completion. I don't know if it was some sort of suction or something between the film base side and the holder itself or simply that my fingers and the holders were too wet for me to get a good grip, but I just couldn't pull the film out of the holder. Here's the trick: Fill a tray, basin, or whatever with water and toss the holders in. After a few seconds, grab the holder, give it a couple shakes, grab the film and it will easily pull out.

Oh, one thing I forgot... When I saw the film holder for real I was concerned that the film might dislodge or simply float up out of the holder upon inversion because there is nothing holding the film in at the top. I'm happy to report that this didn't happen.

Overall, based on this first test run I'm extremely pleased with this tank. It's even fun to use! :)

I hope something I've written here helps others and I wish Stearman Press great success with this tank.

[baro-nite]

Are you using a wetting agent?

Yes.

This morning I did some more reshaping in hot water, carefully bending the tabs back on the offending side. Film released easily, but there was still a streak of anti-halation dye left. (Rinse/wettting agent alone does not remove this; I'll be re-fixing once I finish my current batch.)

I might have another go at reshaping the entire holder. Will it be possible to get replacement holders?

[tim48v]

Can you email a photo?

Could be something odd with the holder; we'll have more in stock this week.

[baro-nite]

Thanks, sent a PM.

[vdonovan]

I've used a Mod54 since they first came out, and I really loved it. Probably developed about 200 sheets in mine.
Pro: Develop 4x5 in daylight with a Patterson tank!
Con: They *are* a little tricky to load. Even though I've been using mine for years, I still load a few practice sheets first to top up my skills before loading real film. Because of the bulkiness of the tank and reel, its awkward in a changing bag. I finally bought a big changing tent.

I'm sad to say, however, that I have a new love, which is the SP-445. I've put about 20 sheets through mine so far. I LOVE IT.
Pro: Small, compact, easy to use, easy to load. EASY TO LOAD. Did I say that it is easy to load? A five year old could load sheet film into this thing in the dark. These will be PERFECT for pinhole and large format workshops.
Cons: Inside the tank are baffles and guides that you have to take out and wash, I could see breaking or losing these things.

So far I haven't had any problem with inconsistent development or streaking or anything like that. My negs look great. I've also been doing reversal processing in mine, also with good results.

[Dave Gesell]

I ordered an SP-445 this morning. I have a MOD54 but never really got along with it. I could only load 4 sheets with any consistency, and occasionally one would pop out of the holder during processing, but luckily I never scratched a neg. I ended up settling on the taco method. Hopefully the SP-445 is my "last" 4x5 daylight tank.

[Leigh]

... either it is a problem with the film having a coating on the back, or it is a problem of the film sticking to the holder during processing.
All LF films that I know of have a water-soluble anti-halation dye coating on the back.
It's there to prevent secondary exposure from light reflecting off the filmholder and back into the emulsion.

Any wash protocol should remove it completely as long as the water can contact the film back.
If the back is stuck to the holder, the water can't get to it to remove that dye.

- Leigh

[Randy]

Wetting agent has been mentioned several times - do you have to use one with this tank? I process in trays and haven't use an agent in many years. Just wondering if it is absolutely necessary in the SP-445 (I haven't purchased a tank yet).

[Tim Meisburger]

I don't normally use wetting agent, and have not with this tank, and had no problems.

[Nigel Smith]

The use of wetting agent is more to do with your water quality and how the neg dries (ie. if it dries with water spots) rather than what vessels was used to process it. So, if you don't currently use wetting agent and don't have drying marks, then you won't/shouldn't need it for this tank.

I have always used a final rinse in distilled/di-ionised water with a drop of wetting agent (Ilford in my case) but I do that in a shallow container (purely cause I'm a tight-arse and don't want to use any more purchased water than I have to). For my roll film, I do this in the tank, which some say is a no-no, however I haven't had issues with my reels and I only give them a rinse in water (no specific cleaning or lubricating). BTW, some of my reels are 35+ years old.

[stawastawa]

How hot?
As in should I be careful about leaving this in my car...


Bob,
Make sure your film holders are "flat", we've heard of one other user that had a slightly curved film holder that could cause the film to be pressed against the holder. If so, it's pretty easy to just warm up the film holder in hot water (not boiling!) and straighten it with your fingers.

BTW, we've processed other films with a coating on the back with no problem.

Let us know what you find.

Tim

[esearing]

Thanks for a great product!!!

Just used mine for the first time and ran 16 sheets of FP4 and Delta 100 in batches of 4. Loading the film was easy once I figured out to lay down the original film holder and hold the ssp-445 holder. I also leaned the SSP holder against a box while getting the next sheet film holder so it did not accumulate any dust from the work surface. Its kind of an odd dance in the dark to find all holders and parts. I may put a small stripe of luminous paint/tape on the tank to find it easier.
The squeeze trick prevented the leaking which is a big improvement over sloshing my old tanks. These also fill and dump much more rapidly.
I do not have the sticking or streaking issues, I used photo-flow in final wash. Clean up was a breeze.

Uses for my old square tank:
I ran out of hangers so after the first 8 mostly dried I put them in my old tank slots and will let them dry overnight. It should keep the dust out too.
If I were in a hurry I could use the old tank to wash while I run another batch through the SP-445.

[koraks]

I may put a small stripe of luminous paint/tape on the tank to find it easier.
Careful, as this may fog the film if you hold it close enough to the paint/tape.

[Chuck1977]

Here's a new video the makers posted. Note the suggestion to squeeze the tank a little while capping to get a better seal. Not sure if that is necessary or not. Anyhow I'm looking forward to trying it out as soon as mine arrives. Should be any day now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTrtU0bhArQ

Looks like a great system.

[Milonian]

Mine arrived last week. I'm a Scotsman so having to pay Customs Duty - 20% VAT plus a Royal Mail handling fee of £8 - took the edge off it but even then, only slightly. After several years of jamming 4x5s sideways into a 120 roll film tank and hoping for the best, this is definitely the mutt's n*ts (or dug's bo**ocks as we say here).
Can't think of a single problem. Didn't squeeze anything and it did not leak even a drop.
F.A.B. - end of.

[tim48v]

Thanks for the compliments!
I guess Churchill was right: "two great nations divided by a common language..."

Reminds me of the time I asked my buddy from England what he was doing on the weekend; he replied "I'm going to knock up Susan and go mountain biking." I replied that I sure hope that means something different in England than it does here. (It does: stop by her place vs get her pregnant.)

It was a great story to tell at their wedding a year later.

[cooperyoung]

Just received one and ran a few sheets through it. I used Diafine as that is my quick developer for small runs, the tank worked fine. Sheet holders loaded easily and the tank did not leak. However, three of the four sheets I developed did have lines/marks on the back from the ridges on the film holder. I may need to look into how I do the wash cycle, perhaps remove the film from the holders and wash using stainless holders in a dip tank?

This is a small section, the vertical lines are a match for the ridges on the film holder. I am going to do a rewashing later today to see if that will remove them.

154281

[/B] I have also just got one and have done two batches--both fine. I do a one minute soak in water first--I wonder if that would help prevent streaks from behind? I used Rodinal 1:50 and maybe the longer, gentler developing is less likely to streak?

[tim48v]

I've addressed part of this in our latest blog: https://shop.stearmanpress.com/blogs/news/a-short-history-of-our-film-holders

Which film? Most reports involve Ilford and presoaking (BTW, Ilford recommends against presoaking.)

[donkee]

Looks like a neat system. Thinking I should take the plunge.

[tim48v]

I'm thinking so too!

[william.j.dwyer@usa.net]

I've noticed after running about 12 sheets through the SP-445 that the back side that's in contact with the holder ridges is getting scratched. This doesn't show up on the prints at all which is nice but I don't like having pre-scuffed neg's... I'm considering perhaps less agitation or additional reading to see if i'm doing something wrong?

[Leigh]

What if 475ml is not sufficient volume for two 8x10 films?

What is the maximum volume the tank can hold with two films loaded?

- Leigh

[vdonovan]

The SP-445 only holds 4x5 film, four sheets max. It does not hold 8x10 film.

I develop my film with Xtol diluted 1:1. Kodak recommends 100ml of diluted developer for every 80 square inches of film, which is four sheets of 4x5. Per Kodak's recommendation, 475ml of developer should be plenty.

[GSX4]

I've noticed after running about 12 sheets through the SP-445 that the back side that's in contact with the holder ridges is getting scratched. This doesn't show up on the prints at all which is nice but I don't like having pre-scuffed neg's... I'm considering perhaps less agitation or additional reading to see if i'm doing something wrong?

I tested my SP-445 yesterday and got ridge marks from the film holders too. After scanning, they did not appear to show up, but still, scratches of any kind are not acceptable. I may try it again this weekend by not sliding the sheets in. I will insert one edge under the tabs and then cup the film and do the same at the other side, and then just slide the film down a bit to lock the front edge under the tabs at the bottom. This has to be better than dragging the film its entire length down the ridged holder????

[tim48v]

Andrew,
I doubt that loading the film holders "sideways" will make a difference. We've run sheets of film in/out of film holders and have not seen any marks on the film. The marks only seem to show up on wet film.

We're still chasing this issue down. The biggest question: why do some people see and most do not?

Try unloading the film with the film holder submerged in water. This would break any surface tension that would be "holding" on to the film.

We've also posted some more info on our blog at: https://shop.stearmanpress.com/blogs/news/a-short-history-of-our-film-holders

[Alan9940]

I have run many sheets of a couple different films through my SP-445 and only one sheet had a very slight (about 1/2 the length on the long side) mark from the ridges. Don't know if it makes any difference, but I pre-soak, do not use wetting agent in the tank, and submerge the holders under water when removing the processed film, as Tim suggests above. I do the submerge routine with one holder at a time, grab the short side on the tabbed end, lift it slightly and give it a wiggle to break any surface tension. The film pretty much floats out at that point. Also, one of my holders had a very slight bend (curvature) to it which I straightened, per tips on Tim's website. Don't know if that made any difference, but I haven't seen a single mark since then.

Good luck! I think with a little trial-n-error you'll get it working, as expected.

[Mick Fagan]

I have run Ilford FP4+, HP5+, Fomapan 400, Bergger Pancro 400 through my SP-445 tank. I have not noticed any marks on the back side of the film, nor have I noticed any marks on the emulsion side of the film.

I too, do the submerged routine to remove the film sheets, in an 8x10" tray which allows plenty of room for the film to almost float out on its own.

I then do my wetting agent routine one sheet at a time in a 5x7" tray, held between my index finger and thumb; which has been my 4x5 routine for at least the last 25 years.

I think this tank is quite wonderful, I would suppose there may be refinements for any future manufacturing runs if required or seen as nice, but all in all, I think it does the job pretty well as it is right now.

Mick.

[Duolab123]

I don't use this particular tank. I always use a fixer with a hardener for sheet films. It's a old habit that's hard to break. Emulsion gets soft when wet. As you increase temperature above 20 C it gets a lot softer.
Even when I do a final rinse in purified water with photo-flo I'm careful to go slow. Just in the last year I had 2 sheets of 8x10 film in a tray and sure enough, the corner of one film gouged out a small sliver of emulsion from the other.
In all my years I find that 90 % of the time I damage the emulsion it's when I remove the film from (tank, hanger, reel,drum,etc) or in final rinse.
I would be curious if people that have issues would try 2 things. Hardener in the fix, and the last 2 minutes of wash gradually drop the water temperature to 15 C. See if that helps at all.
Best Regards Mike.

[seezee]

New film holder design announced today (https://shop.stearmanpress.com/blogs/news/sp-445-film-holders-rev-2). I shoot primarily x-ray film, double-sided, so the old design definitely did not work for me. Hopefully, someone will order a set and test it out with x-ray for us.

[Duolab123]

I sure like the look of the new holder better than the first. MHO Best Regards Mike

[tim48v]

It's pretty easy to modify the old design: https://shop.stearmanpress.com/blogs/news/a-short-history-of-our-film-holders
The new film holders are available on our website: shop.stearmanpress.com

[ahotflash]

Just got mine in the mail today: brilliantly designed. Solidly built. Worth buying. >Doug Young

[prashantkhapane]

This seems quite an old thread. Lot of things said about the holder are correct. I’ve the latest version (4) for my 5x4. Loading film is breeze. No leakage. Ease of use. Fantastic.
Unfortunately, almost every sheet of film seems to getting streaks or marks consistent with the middle strips in the holder. This is probably user error.
I load the film the same way as in the film holder. And keep the protruding notches away from each other. Any help or suggestions?

[tim48v]

Not sure what you mean by "protruding notches..."?

Anyway, what your seeing is almost certainly anti-halation dye that hasn't washed out. Rewash in a tray and it should be fine.

Several questions:
Are you pre-soaking? If so, stop. None of the modern manufacturers recommend it. If you want to continue, be sure to agitate during the presoak.

By any chance, are you using "softened" water? (Note that I said "softened" not soft.) The ion replacement process of artificially softening water appears to be softening the gelatin on the back of the film.
Try using distilled water.

We have finally replicated this issue in our lab and are certain it's a water related problem. We're working on a video about this topic but we've never seen it with distilled water.

You can contact us directly at info@stearmanpress.com.

Tim

[prashantkhapane]

Not sure what you mean by "protruding notches..."?

Anyway, what your seeing is almost certainly anti-halation dye that hasn't washed out. Rewash in a tray and it should be fine.

Several questions:
Are you pre-soaking? If so, stop. None of the modern manufacturers recommend it. If you want to continue, be sure to agitate during the presoak.

By any chance, are you using "softened" water? (Note that I said "softened" not soft.) The ion replacement process of artificially softening water appears to be softening the gelatin on the back of the film.
Try using distilled water.

We have finally replicated this issue in our lab and are certain it's a water related problem. We're working on a video about this topic but we've never seen it with distilled water.

You can contact us directly at info@stearmanpress.com.

Tim

email on the way Tim.

[Duolab123]

Not sure what you mean by "protruding notches..."?

Anyway, what your seeing is almost certainly anti-halation dye that hasn't washed out. Rewash in a tray and it should be fine.

Several questions:
Are you pre-soaking? If so, stop. None of the modern manufacturers recommend it. If you want to continue, be sure to agitate during the presoak.

By any chance, are you using "softened" water? (Note that I said "softened" not soft.) The ion replacement process of artificially softening water appears to be softening the gelatin on the back of the film.
Try using distilled water.

We have finally replicated this issue in our lab and are certain it's a water related problem. We're working on a video about this topic but we've never seen it with distilled water.

You can contact us directly at info@stearmanpress.com.

Tim

You are correct about treating water. We have so much Calcium carbonate dissolved in our water we use a water softener, it does a great job. The ion exchange resin exchanges sodium for calcium. The result is water so loaded with sodium carbonate that it's impossible to use for developers. I installed a reverse osmosis system for pure water (for the film). The dye is an issue no matter what tank you use, I use hypo clearing agent after the fixer, purple film drives me crazy.