scratch on otherwise (almost) perfect negative...

[Percy]

Hi.
I have what looks like a small, crescent-shaped cut/scratch on a negative which I wou love
to make a limited edition of. I have tried Edwal no scratch on the negative as well as the same and spot tone on the negative as well as the print. Nothing seems to work. What I have gotten
is a large paling area around the cut/scratch, which makes it even more obvious. Nose grease just makes a disgusting mess on the negative in my experience.

This black mark appearing on the print is driving me nuts...I really want to save this image. It looks sooooo good in silver paper; it would be a shame to scan and print it digitally.

Help...

[Bill_1856]

Make yourself a copy negative (just for insurance), and have it retouched/airbrushed by a professional retoucher. It won't be cheap, but sometimes using an expert is the best way to go.

[robc]

contact print the neg to new neg(positive) and then conatct print new (positive) to new neg(neg). That will get rid of the physical damage to the neg surface. Then apply more spottone or masking rubber so that you get white in the print and not black. Then you can correct print with spottone. Tedious I know.

Alternatively digitize it, make corrections, send digi file to lab with a film burner to make a new neg.

or

digitise it, make corrections, output to OHP film and contact print.

[N Dhananjay]

Kodak used to make a product called New Crocein (or Crocein scarlet) which was meant for retouching - you could try to hunt for that. You apply it to the neg, get a white area on the print which you spot out with Spotone or charcoal. Alternatively, if Crocein is unavailable, I know Porter's Camera had a similar product (www.porters.com). However, retouching requires some skill and you might be better served by getting aprofessional retoucher to get the job done. Good luck. Cheers, DJ

[Tao Wu]

my own expirence is that spot tone is not dense/opaque enough on the negative.

i have used some makeup from on Walgreens that worked pretty well and it was easy to wipe off. i don't remember which particular kind. you can expriment with them by yourself.

the only problem was that I wasn't great with spot tone on the print, but it worked well overall.

[Craig Wactor]

I am to the point now where I would just leave it there, and not sweat it. I just saw the "Keeping Shadows" traveling exhibition, and again was struck by the number of dust specks, scratches, and bad burning/dodging in some of the world's most famous images.