Washing film

[nightbringer]

I do tray developing, but I have a 2L tank that I've started using as a final wash with photo-flo before I hang my sheets up to dry, using film clips to hold up the the hangers the film are in.

Would it harm the film if I left it in the photo-flo longer than the 10 minutes stated by the MDC? I figure this way I can just keep processing and throwing more film into the tank until I am ready to finish and can hang them all at once as opposed to one by one.

[Gem Singer]

Assuming that the Photo-Flo is dissolved in distilled, or highly filtered water, it does no harm to leave the film in the solution for longer periods of time.

However, don't dry the individual sheets of film while they are in stainless steel hangers. Remove the film from the hanger and hang it to dry, held by the notched corner, with a clothes pin.

As the liquid drains off of the lower opposite corner of the of film, gently remove the water drops until they no longer form.

Make sure to hang the film in a dust free area.

[nightbringer]

All right, thanks.

How do you hang it with a clothes pin? I always end up with some of it on the image area and leaving marks - maybe because my clothes pins are too fat or something, I don't know.

[Kimberly Anderson]

I use dental x-ray clips. Very strong, very sharp gripping point, very minimal invasion on the image area.

[Peter Lewin]

With the old-fashioned spring-loaded wooden clothes pins, you can re-assemble them "backwards" so that the end you clip to the film has the two thin handles which used to be the part you pinched together with your fingers. So the end you clip to the negatives can now just minimally grab the notched corner. I've done this to a bunch of clothes pins which hang on string in my darkroom.

[ROL]

You may want to consider not using photo-flo if your conditions permit. I only use a final distilled water rinse on sheet film in my lab, without streaking or further consequence.

[tgtaylor]

Would it harm the film if I left it in the photo-flo longer than the 10 minutes stated by the MDC?

I just checked my bottle of Kodak Photo Flo and it says 30 seconds.

[Bruce Watson]

I do tray developing, but I have a 2L tank that I've started using as a final wash with photo-flo before I hang my sheets up to dry, using film clips to hold up the the hangers the film are in.

Would it harm the film if I left it in the photo-flo longer than the 10 minutes stated by the MDC?

I wouldn't do this. Two things. First, photoflow on your hangers is bad -- it's not coming off without a fight. You may see sudsing in your developer and fixer as a result, which might possibly create some artifacts like air bells on your film. Probably not. But... why tempt fate?

Two, drying film in film hangers is bad. Great way to create some streaks. Take the film out of the hangers, and hang it from one corner using a clip like a clothespin. Really.

So... take the film out of the hangers and stack it in a tray full of fresh distilled water (don't reuse rinse water). When you get done processing, transfer these loose sheets from the water to the photoflow solution. Give 'em a few seconds of agitation, then start hanging 'em up. That's "the way we've always done it" for good reason. Just sayin'.

BTW, don't reuse photoflow solution either -- great way to transfer dust to your film. Always mix a fresh solution for each processing run using distilled water. Really. I'm not kidding.

[photoevangelist]

That's news to me about mixing fresh Photo Flo for each sheet. I usually use the Photo Flo for one session. If I start noticing dust, I'll heed this advice.

I only do Photo Flo for 30 sec to 2 min. max. Don't remember why. I think I learned this way on 35mm reels. Spin 30 seconds in one direction and 30 seconds in the other direction. Just a habit. 10 min would seem like overkill to me.