spotting negatives

[John Laragh]

Some negs, no matter how careful I am about cleaning holders, wind up getting du st on them before their exposed (black spots in print). I have been using red oc her and the finest brush I can get to spot negs. But ocher spots are too big. Es pecially when printing 16x20. Does anyone know of a technique or tool that will make really small spots, just enough to cover area needed?

[Adam D. DeKraker]

John,

I have had much success with Kodak's "Opaque Red" paint. I'm not sure if it's s till available, as the small jar that I have must be 20 years old. It's basically an orangeish colored thick pigment that can be thinne d down with water to the proper consistancy. If this stuff is no longer commercially available, you may want to try thinning down the red o cher a little. This might provide for better control of the pigment. (Just don't thin it down too much, as it may become translucent.) How small of a brush are you using? Make sure you have a 000 (triple zero) sable. If that doesn't work, try using a fine tip black "shar pie" marker.....this usually does the job just fine, and will provide enough density to prevent light from passing through the spot. Hope thi s helps!

[N Dhananjay]

I've used toothpicks to good effect. DJ

[Robert A. Zeichner]

One technique that works well for me is to "etch" out the spot or hair on the base side of the film. By taking a sharp, precision etching needle (they can be found in artists supply shops) and using it to gently scratch the base side of the negative, you will actually block light from passing through and thus, create an effect similar to retouching with opaque. It is advisable to practice this technique on some negs that you can afford to mess up. You will have to print them to see the effect. With prcatice, you may be able to conceal some pretty serious flaws in this manner. Good luck.

[james mickelson]

A 000 sable brush with either Spotone or Marshall retouching dyes. A lighted magnifying glass or a light box. Patience. That's all you need for even the smallest flaws. James

[John Laragh]

Thanks all for info. Will expirement with suggestions. Errata, I have been using red opaque, not red ocher as stated in question.

[Garry Edwards]

Use a QUICKLOAD holder instead of dark slides. Since changing to a Quickload I no longer have a problem with dust spots. You can test this by using a Polaroid 545 back but in my experience this is only O.K. at small apertures because the 545 doesn't hold the film flat enough. Hope this helps.