Sheet film uneven edge density

[Jordan]

My film is drying in a way that leaves almost a border in an "L" shape along one long and one short side. It is an "L" shaped area of less density on the negative that only shows up on occasion. It is located always on the notch code edge and side closest to the notch code. I hang my film from the notch code corner. I use a jobo 3010 expert drum to process my film with the notch code oriented at the upper left. I put my film in the holder with the notch code in the lower left, thus rise and bellows sag are ruled out I feel. Could film drying unevenly leave an area I have described? Thank you all in advance for any answers.

[Brian C. Miller]

That sounds quite peculiar. Can you verify that your film is really density as it is drying? You should be able to simply look at the area while the film is wet and during its drying. (This has never happened to me, though)

This sounds like not enough light is reaching the area in question when the film is being exposed. I don't think that either the development or the drying is affecting the density loss.

Do you have a scan of this?

[Jordan]

The reason I am even considering it having something to do with drying is the shape looks exactly the way moisture looks while traveling away from the corner from where the film is hung. I will post a scan tomorrow hopefully.

[Louie Powell]

I would not suspect a linkage between drying and density.

You should hang your film by a corner. That will help water drip off the film as it dries.

As far as a band of uneven density - how are you processing your film? Uneven density makes me think that there's a development problem, and perhaps the edge of the film is not fully immersed in the developer. This can happen in open trays if the tray is not level. If you are doing multiple sheets in a tray, it is possible for sheets to stick together in a way that fresh developer can't get to the edge of a sheet. Or if you are using some kind of tank, it could mean that you don't have enough solution in the tank.

[Michael Rosenberg]

You said that you put the film in the Jobo drum with the notch code in the upper left?? Does that mean that your film emulsion is facing the side of the drum? The film should be facing away from the side, i.e., to the inside of the chamber. Once the film is properly fixed and washed it should not lighten.

Mike

[Jordan]

Yes, I am hanging my film the corner. Yes, I am placing the film emulsion side in inside the Jobo. I use speed setting 4, fill the tank up with 1200ml of Developer also.

[Jordan]

I have cropped in and adjust the levels as such to make the difference in density more apparent.

[archer]

Dear Jordan;
That is most definitely a processing error, most likely in the developer. A properly washed negative that has been thoroughly developed and fixed will not show density differences due to any form of drying that I am aware of, short of incineration.
Denise Libby

[sergiob]

That looks like it received light or some kind of radiation very briefly with a curved object that masked it partially.

[Jordan]

It's less density in the negative, which causes it to be darker in the positive. It happens in the same spot on various negatives. I Process in a Jobo expert drum with all emulsions facing inward towards the core.
I use 1oz of HC110 concentrate to 89oz of water. Of that I can only use 1200ml of my mixed up developer in my Jobo processor before it begins to leak out. I process for 8 minutes after rating my film at 200. It is a mixture I came up with and it makes negatives that print beautifully, if it weren't for that occasional line of different density.

[Brian C. Miller]

Woa, now, that's a lot of developer in that drum! Have you tried using Jobo's recommended amount of developer? I honestly don't think that it is possible for the quantity of developer, especially way too much, to affect the negative like that. I am sure that you have some kind of light leakage at some point.

[Kirk Keyes]

I hang my film from the notch code corner.

Hang one upside down - from the opposite corner of the notch - and see if it has the drying marks on the opposite corner.

I've used 1500 ml of developer in a Jobo 3010 with no problem than some of it leaking out of the drum during processing.

[bob carnie]

Yes I agree , most likely insufficient agitation in developer at the beginning of the run.

Dear Jordan;
That is most definitely a processing error, most likely in the developer. A properly washed negative that has been thoroughly developed and fixed will not show density differences due to any form of drying that I am aware of, short of incineration.
Denise Libby

[Jordan]

There is no way it's due to insufficient agitation. The is not indicative of that plus it's being agitated plenty as the jobo won't accept chemistry properly any other way.

[bob carnie]

I too use an expert tank for processing film and its minus density in the film which is caused by lack of dev getting to areas of the film in the first 15 seconds.
We manually agitate before popping on the jobo for this very reason.
If it is showing up in the exact spot every time then I withdraw my observation.
If it is random minus density, and not on every sheet then its could be the same problem we experienced.
Our Agitation before putting the tank on the rollers got rid of this problem.


There is no way it's due to insufficient agitation. The is not indicative of that plus it's being agitated plenty as the jobo won't accept chemistry properly any other way.