OUCH! Kodalith Ortho 4x5 has no notch ...

[Lee Christopher]

I was just trying to load some Kodalith Ortho film for the first time, and realized that there's no notch on the film sheet at all!

I sacrificed one sheet, which is a distinct marronish on one side, and dark muddy purplish pink on the other. BOTH sides are shiny but the distinct marroonish side looks to be just that tiny bit shinier.

Unfortunately, I have no darkroom nor safelight to work with, only a changing bag.

When I lick the maroonsh side, there's hardly any change. When it dries, there's the marks left by my err...dried spit.

When I lick the muddy purplish pink side, the area I licked takes on a whitish hue immediately. When it dries, the whitish hue disappears and there's virtually no mark left. Am I correct to assume that this is the emulsion side?

Could anyone clue me in about which side I should load facing the darkslide/lens please?

Thank you.

[Lee Christopher]

I think I figured it out.

Besides the reaction when I licked the film, I noticed that the film is curled ever so slightly towards the muddy purplish pink side, so I think I loaded it with the curl facing the darkslide/lens.

I guess I'll find out after a shoot later today.

[Lee Christopher]

Thanks for looking in.

I feel like ... so stupid, not knowing which side is the emulsion face.

[nolindan]

Try scraping the sacrificed sheet on each side with a knife - the emulsion should scrape off.

When I get a new box of litho film I sacrifice one sheet to get the stack's orientation and then notch all the sheets - just nip a corner off with a pair of scissors. If I try and keep the stack 'oriented' as I use up the film it invariably ends up disoriented and I end up exposing the film through the backside.

[Lee Christopher]

Hi Nolindan,

YES! the knife scrape you kindly suggested confirmed I got the correct side. At least I now know how tasteless Ortho film tastes! LOL!

Now all I'm hoping is that I loaded it the correct way, going by the curl in the sheet. You know how if you try to bend and 'snap' a sheet of film, it's easy to get that 'snap' sound if it's bending against the curl, whereas when you bend it with the curl, there's less resistance and you don't get that 'snap' sound?

[BrianShaw]

Unfortunately, I have no darkroom nor safelight to work with, only a changing bag.

When I lick the maroonsh side, there's hardly any change. When it dries, there's the marks left by my err...dried spit.

When I lick the muddy purplish pink side, the area I licked takes on a whitish hue immediately. When it dries, the whitish hue disappears and there's virtually no mark left.

It has been a long, long time since I shot any Kodalith. I remember it having no notch. What a pain! I seem to remember the muddy-purple-pink being the emulsion side. The curl is the cue, I seem to remember. But it is a vague memory so don't bet big money on what I say.

Enough of the small talk... what I really want to know is how you got your tongue in the changing bag. Are you a contortionist?

[Lee Christopher]

Brian,

The licking part was easy once my eyes adjusted to the pitch darkness to identify the color of the film coatings.

Gotta love this site! People here have a great sense of humour!

[Drew Wiley]

You can feel and hear the difference if you gently stroke the film with a finger near
your ear. The emulsion side has a very slight texture feel and sound, and the back
of the film is smoother. If in doubt, place the whole stack of sheets in a paper safe.
Remove one sheet from the stack without flipping it, and examine it by light. The
darker antihalation coating will be on the base side. Then appropriately label your
paper safe.