Tmy-2

[David Hedley]

I have been experimenting with TMY-2, and seem to have several negatives that have fingerprints on them. I’ve never had this problem before (with TMX or Delta 100), and I don’t think I’m particularly hamfisted in loading / unloading film, so I wondered if there was something about the TMY-2 emulsion that made it particularly susceptible to fingerprints? Have others had the same problem, and if so what do you do to avoid / mitigate it? Is there a good way of removing them?

[Toyon]

Try dilute photoflo/lpn to get rid of prints. Also, washing your hands with soap before handling film will temporarily get rid of some of the oil on your fingers.

[jp]

Not sure about that film being special with regard to fingerprints. If I'm not thinking, I can get fingerprints on any film. I wash with soap and water before touching film, whether loading, unloading and processing, scanning, or at the enlarger.

[Sascha Welter]

Did you check if they are *your* finger prints?

[Steve Gledhill]

David,
I've not seen any difference between TMY-2 and any other film I've ever used. I don't get fingerprints on any of them. But that could be because I'm ultra careful to handle them only by the edges and only then when I have thoroughly washed/degreased hands. So, sorry but that doesn't actually answer your question. But it does suggest a way of it not being a problem if TMY-2 does have a greater susceptibility to finger prints. Then of course you'd know that anyway :)

[Bruce Watson]

I've never understood the fingerprint thing. I've never had a fingerprint on a sheet of film that I've loaded/unloaded and processed myself. Because I never hold the film between thumb and finger -- only on the edges. It's an easy enough technique. The one exception is removing film from holders -- then I do pinch the film (just the corner (non-image area) close to the notches) just enough to get it started out of the holder. The rest of the time it's edges only.

That said, it's usually OK to hit the back of the film. The antihalation layer doesn't survive processing; it takes what finger prints there are with it when it's removed by the developer.

But to answer your actual question, I've never heard or read any other comments that TMY-2 is unusually susceptible to fingerprinting. That doesn't mean that it's not, but it does raise the odds a bit that it could be just you seeing it.

[Pete Roody]

i have had fingerprints on negs when i did not develop the film soon after exposure. i use nitrile gloves now when handling film and i don't worry about them any more.

[David Hedley]

Did you check if they are *your* finger prints?

LOL; I will have to do some forensic analysis when I get home this evening to be sure whose prints they are! If they're not mine, it should be easy enough to find out which Kodak QA employee checked this batch ;)

This is the first time I've had this problem, but thanks for all the suggestions.

[Sal Santamaura]

I have experienced this with 8x10 TMY2, the only film it's ever appeared on for me. I always wash my hands with oil-removing shampoo and then dry them thoroughly before loading/unloading holders, so I'm confident they weren't my fingerprints. :)

My solution, which also resulted in images I like better when contacted on Azo irrespective of fingerprints, was to start shooting 320 TXP instead.

[Ed Richards]

Lots of finger prints on Tmax 100 when there was a long delay between loading and processing. I am not as agile as Bruce.:-) Thin, lint free cotton gloves for loading solved it for me.

[Robert Hughes]

Did you check if they are *your* finger prints?
Even worse - they're the model's fingerprints! How did she get in my photo lab, anyway? :confused: (cue creepy music...)

[Robert Hughes]

delete that duplicate. Yeah, it was mildly amusing the first time ...