Small clear spots on film

I’ve been getting small clear spots on my 4x5 B&W negatives. It happens with TMX and TXP films, developed with HC-110 and D-23. I use distilled water for everything but the wash.

The spots are very small, irregular in shape, with fuzzy edges, scattered randomly though more common near the edges. Some negatives don’t have any spots, some have just a few, and some are plastered with them.

I wash my film in a vertical Gravity Works film washer and just noticed that the pattern of tiny bubbles which form on the film during washing look a lot like the pattern of the spots.

I’m going to try a different wash method today but was wondering if anyone else has experienced holes in the emulsion during washing?

Just a guess here, especially since you say the problem is limited to two films and developers (suggesting, perhaps, that you may use others, too?) If the holes had already occurred, maybe the bubbles would be sticking to the film there, hence the correlation. In any case, I would not start with the wash as the problem.

For clear spots, my first thought, of course, is dust or similar debris on the film when the photo is taken. But you indicate that the holes are significantly larger, so that's not it.

You could try exposing a sheet of of the box to very dim light (something like a medium density) using enlarger light and then tray developing in your normal print developer for 2 minutes to see if you get the same result, which would suggest an (albeit unlikely) film defect.

Regarding the profusion toward the edges, do you develop in a tank (what kind) or tray? Agitation pattern?

Update: It’s the bubbles in the print washer causing holes in the emulsion. I exposed a sheet of TXP to a grey card at Zone V. Processed it in a tube (I use both BTZS tubes and trays), HC-110, stop, fix. Then instead of putting it in the film washer I sloshed it around in a tray of distilled water. Completely spot-free.

Must be some minerals in my well water not playing nice with film. Now to figure out how to get an adequate wash using bottled distilled water.

If it's the bubbles, then maybe it's not the tap water. I use trays with tap water and replace the water every 7 minutes or so three or four times, ensuring that there are no bubbles, and then do the final rinse with distilled water with a few drops of Photo-Flo before hanging to dry. Never any spots.

Check the next negs right out of the fix...I doubt any clear spots are from that point onwards. That would take silver bleaching.

Also sounds like it could dust on the film during exposure, except for having fuzzy edges.

I'm with bubbles on the film during development. As Vaughn said, check them after the fix, before washing.

I did check two tests straight after the fix, and there were no spots. But the effect has been very random. Some sheets have no spots, some just a few, and some have a lot.

I can’t think of any reason why this would happen in the film washer. It has to be during development, right? I’m currently using tubes but this has happened before using trays too.

The spots don’t happen with 120 film on reels. Probably because I give it a good smack after each agitation.

I’m thinking I should try a few drops of photo-flo in the developer. Has anyone done this?

Are you using tap water for your chems? Something may be in there. Could you possibly try filtering your chems before pouring?

Air bells. Long a problem for some.
Get and read Henry Horenstein: Black & White Photography, a Basic Manual. He shows it.

Pre-soak with agitation will generally get rid of the problem. If you don't like to pre-soak make sure to rap the developing tank after first introducing developer. Your agitation cycles will help as well.