White writing showing on old prints

[Jim Noel]

The Autographic cameraused a special film with a different paper backing than most.

[wooserco]

Pencil on the backside (non emulsion side) of the negative. That's how it was explained to me by an oldtimer.

[Leigh]

The original notations were done using a split-nib pen or technical pen and India ink.
That ink is quite dense and opaque, used on drawings that were reproduced optically.

- Leigh

[jnantz]

you can use a blank sheet of clear film and write on it or use something like letraset
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letraset
you can use graphite or ink on your negative or carbon paper like autographics used
right on the negative, unless you don't really want your film marked up with ink
( i've used letraset on mylar, works great )
if you do the mark the film route, you have to make sure you drink a water buffalo's worth of coffee
from a rest area and get really shakey hands so your marked film looks old school..

[LabRat]

The Autographic cameraused a special film with a different paper backing than most.

As I understand, the backing was very thin, and when you wrote on it, the stylus slightly split through the backing paper... Then you went into the bright light and opened the cover for some seconds, and it exposed the lines to the film...

Steve K

[interneg]

The Autographic cameraused a special film with a different paper backing than most.

I think it had a carbon layer or something like that & the stylus pressure transferred it to the film.

[EdWorkman]

Yes
Autographic film had an added strip of thin carbon tissue between the backing paper and the film
How do I know?
I tried to develop an old, exposed roll [to no image] for a friend
I returned all the parts to him.

[schafphoto]

This year I marked about 550 negatives. My new favorite pen for marking HP5 HABS/HAER/HALS negatives is a 0.4 tip Faber Castel Ecco Pigment archival pen. I would buy two because one always works better than the other, and the shipping is the same. There are different tip thicknesses but the ink is the most dense I have ever used. Available online from Faber Castel. (second choice is tie between the Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.4 and the Faber Castel PITT artist pen black S tip) I will update the other thread as well.

-Schaf