avoiding scratches on LF negatives during development

[Kevin M Bourque]

My $0.02.....if you develop emulsion side DOWN (which I recommend), be sure to keep your fingers under the film (I wear latex gloves), as a previous poster suggested. If you have the emulsion facing UP, you stand a good chance of scratching the emulsion with the corner of another piece while you shuffle.

I use 5x7 trays for 4x5. One liter of developer gives plenty of depth so you can keep your fingers under the film. The tray is big enough to work in, but small enough to keep the film from wandering all over. If you have to square up a staggered pile of film, you stand a good chance of scratching one of them.

[John Boeckeler]

Correction. I should have started out my answer by saying that Kodak and "The Negative" recommend processing with emulsion side UP.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Trays are attractive, because most people have them when they first get started in LF, they work perfectly well with the right technique, and it is fairly easy once you get the hang of it to do as few as one or two sheets or up to about eight sheets at once. If you are always doing high volume, a tank and hanger system might become more attractive, but you wouldn't want to have to fill a whole tank for one or two sheets. Some of the inversion tanks seem to work well for 4x5". Drums lock you into a constant agitation pattern, which you may not want.

I process 8x10" in 11x14" trays. I like to have at least 1 quart of chemistry for four sheets. I put the sheets in emulsion side up, passing the sheets into the liquid in a sweeping motion from the front of the tray to the back, slightly lifting the leading edge to avoid damaging the sheet on top of the stack, then patting the top sheet with my fingertips. I shuffle from the bottom to top, turning the sheets 90 degrees periodically (depends on the development time and agitation pattern for the film). It's worked for me.

[Chad Jarvis]

There's no substitute for practice.

[mark lindsey]

I like trays because: i use a lot less chemistry I can do n- and/or n+ processing along with normal. I know immediatly if something bad is going on with sheets (sticking together, etc.) hell, I'm used to it

I always dev. emulsion up and don't have any problems.

[Michael Pry]

I use 11x14 trays with my 8x10 negs because I like to develop by inspection. I wouldn't be able to inspect using other ways. I have noticed the Berrger film is much more rough on the edges than the Ilford and with shuffling emulsion side DOWN I have a few scratches now and then on the base side of the neg. It is not a problem as I contact print and heven't noticed them on the print. Had I developed emulsion side down it would have been nightmarish at times. I have never had a scratch in the emulsion fron the bottom of the tray.

[Michael Pry]

Sorry-should read had I developed emulsion side up..........

[Herwig Prammer]

thanks a lot to you all for your information.

rgds