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Showing posts with label bathroom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bathroom. Show all posts

Friday 16 December 2011

Drying the negatives.


Where to dry your film once they have been washed and you do not have a drying cabinet. It is not good practice to hang them near a vent or radiator. The turbulent air that these areas create can force hair, dust specs etc to land and stick to your damp film. One of the best places is in the bathroom where in most cases the room is at constant temperature and the level of dust is less because of the higher humidity.

You should attach a special film clip to the top end of the film and one to the bottom to add weight. This will also reduce curl once it has dried. The film is best hung wet and any excess water is removed with wiping tongs (double-sided squeegee). This also helps with the elimination of drying spots. I can tell you from experience that if these tongs are not spotlessly clean they will scratch your negatives. It is better to leave the film to air dry and remove the water with a well washed soft leather cloth, you keep especially for the job. You can wait till it is dry, use a film cleaner and soft lens cloth to remove the water marks. In both cases only wipe the shiney side of the film.