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Thread: pre soak

  1. #1

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    pre soak

    I am sure its been asked before, but what is the thing with pre soaking film before development. Is there any real reason to do this or not, do some films benefit and some not?

    Peter

  2. #2

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    Re: pre soak

    Presoaking helps you develop evenly. Think of your dry unprocessed film as a dry sponge. When you have filled your film (your dry sponge) with water the developing chemicals can reach it faster and more evenly than if it was dry. I can say that every film benefits from being presoaked (even ILFORD films, but ILFORD say they have incorporated a wetting agent in their in their film coating to make presoak unnecessary) but you might have to adjust your developing time slightly.

  3. #3
    Big Negs Rock!
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    Re: pre soak

    The only film I really need to pre-soak is the 8x10 (and I use Ilford). I now pre-soak all films when I develop them.
    Mark Woods

    Large Format B&W
    Cinematography Mentor at the American Film Institute
    Past President of the Pasadena Society of Artists
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    Pasadena, CA
    www.markwoods.com

  4. #4

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    Re: pre soak

    When shuffling more than one, pre-soaking (1 minute, or so) keeps dry emulsion/film from sticking to other developing films. Pre-soaked films shuffle easily. Spacing sheets by 10 seconds or so in the soak tray seems effective while paying attention to sticking. If sticking occurs, then add more soaking time between additional sheets. As mentioned, Ilford may have solved the dry emulsion sticking problem.

    Sequenced two bath developing (A-developer only, B-activator) may have other needs.

    Steve

  5. #5

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    Re: pre soak

    Thank you all - connected to the water question, does water hardness have an impact on the development of the negative?

  6. #6
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    Re: pre soak

    Quote Originally Posted by 12pmc View Post
    Thank you all - connected to the water question, does water hardness have an impact on the development of the negative?
    Try this:
    Do a self-experiment. Compare identically exposed negatives, processed in identically-mixed developer solutions, developed for the same time/temperature/etc. Only difference being that one developing solution is mixed with distilled water, and the other is mixed with your local tap water

  7. #7

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    Re: pre soak

    Thanks so much for that insight! Might have saved 2 really nice portraits recently.

    Quote Originally Posted by lfpf View Post
    When shuffling more than one, pre-soaking (1 minute, or so) keeps dry emulsion/film from sticking to other developing films. Pre-soaked films shuffle easily. Spacing sheets by 10 seconds or so in the soak tray seems effective while paying attention to sticking. If sticking occurs, then add more soaking time between additional sheets. As mentioned, Ilford may have solved the dry emulsion sticking problem.

    Sequenced two bath developing (A-developer only, B-activator) may have other needs.

    Steve

  8. #8

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    Re: pre soak

    I don't think every film benefits from presoak. Kodak C41 will develop a different color response curve if presoaked. I can attest to this particularly with Kodak ektar which for me gets heavier cyan shifts when presoaked. When not presoaked, I get chrome like colors with minor adjustments in scanning

  9. #9

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    Re: pre soak

    Quote Originally Posted by Deval View Post
    I don't think every film benefits from presoak. Kodak C41 will develop a different color response curve if presoaked. I can attest to this particularly with Kodak ektar which for me gets heavier cyan shifts when presoaked. When not presoaked, I get chrome like colors with minor adjustments in scanning
    Good point on color films. Previous comment was for typical b/w emulsions in typical b/w developers.

    Steve

  10. #10

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    Re: pre soak

    Quote Originally Posted by 12pmc View Post
    Thank you all - connected to the water question, does water hardness have an impact on the development of the negative?
    Emulsion swelling and development activity depends on pH and tap waters vary widely in pH. Also, distilled water may causes excessive (pre-soak) emulsion swelling (unconfirmed rumor). A reference would be useful here and ideal mixing water pH may be a non-issue if b/w developers are buffered. Some of this is foggy recollection, so I'll research a bit and report findings.

    Other members (chemists) will know more.

    Steve

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