storing film/paper

[Raven Garrow]

When removing sheet film from the refrigerator to warm up to room temp., does th e box of film stay in the zip lock bag for the 2-3 hrs while warming up to room temp., or does it come out of the bag right away? I was also wondering since the re is no air conditioning or a cool basement here, what is happening to my b & w paper. Temps go up to the 90's. And just how long is to long for film to stay o ut in the heat before it becomes effected by it. Thanks for the response.

[N Dhananjay]

A lot depends on how long you keep them out while running through them. If its going to be for extended lengths of time (especially if you buy your stuff in bulk and test them once and shoot or print the rest using those test results), its worth worrying about. Re film, keep it in the plastic or zip lock bag till it warms up. That way, moisture will condense on the plastic bag instead of on the film. Re paper, its a good idea to refrigerate those too, especially if you are going to store them out for very long periods of time. High temperatures tend to reduce the speed of papers. Its also a good idea to store paper flat - prevents the paper curling under its own weight. If its relatively short periods of time or a box of 20 sheets that you will run through this weekend, might not be worth worrying about. DJ

[Robert A. Zeichner]

Paper loses both speed and contrast over time. Heat just accelerates the process. Some papers, like Eastman Polymax Fine Art will actually die after awhile. I've had half a box go bad in just a year and a half after purchase. And I keep everything in a cool basement (never over 70F and typically cooler. I would suggest not stocking up unless you expect to do a ton of printing. Buy just what will be used in a month or two and replenish more often. Leave that film box in the bag until it reaches room temp. The idea is for the condensation to form on the bag, not the box.