Flattening Film. Let's collect ideas.

[kemal_mumcu]

Hi all, I was wanting to collect some ideas about flattening film once it comes out of the tank. As we all know, having flat film is paramount to having good scans and prints. This is what I do currently:

- after leaving the tank, I squeegee with my fingers and let dry

- as soon as it is barely dry I roll it against it's natural curl and store overnight in a old film canister.

- approx 12 later I take it out and cut it into strips of 6 and store in a sleeve sheet.

- if still curling I press it inside a Magnum photo book 😀


Sometimes this works well and I've found the film almost perfectly flat with no need for Mr Magnum, but sometimes the curl hasn't left. One thing I've noticed is that I need to take down the drying film sooner, cause if I leave it up it's become harded to its natural curl.

One time I left the re-rolled film in a canister for about 4-5 days (gone on a trip) and when I took it out I had the reverse problem of the curl going the new way. 😱

I'm interested in what other people do.

 

[wontonny]

I roll the film back onto the developing reel emulsion side out, negating the original curl. Then I let it dry in a drawer that's cracked open for a day or two. There's still a very very slight curl, but that gets flattened when I put it in my binders.

 

[Frankie]

Achieving a single focal point [via film held flat at image plane] is the cure for all scanning and printing ills.

For scanning, see: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1199729&postcount=42

For printing, the equivalent solution is: use glassless film holder for the bottom and anti-newton glass on top. Better enlarger manufacturers such as Durst offer such parts.

 

[panchro-press]

Frankly, I'm surprised that film curl is a problem.

After washing & wiping, I hang the film with a film clip and place another clip at the end of the roll. When the film is thoroughly dry, place in sleeves.

I've used this method for 40+ years with both 120 and 35mm film and have never had a problem with film curl.

-30-

 

[literiter]

I sent my film to a lab, they returned it to me uncut in a long sleeve...very tightly rolled. I left it for about 2 years before unraveling and scanning.

This was a stupid thing to do, I'm afraid to say. It will not flatten even though I've placed the stuff under weights for a week now.

Any ideas?

 

[panchro-press]

I would try re-wetting the film and then hanging it by the method indicated in my above post.
Don't forget to use Photo-flo prior to hanging.

-30-

 

[Wahoo]

.
Never really had any problems with 35mm and 120 film curl but I did inherit some film which had been in 35mm cans for 40 years plus.

I just loaded back onto reels with curl on 'The Outside' and left it for a few weeks, worked reasonably okay . 🙂

 

[benlees]

Avoid Fomapan 120! Curly as hell! Tri-x dries nice and flat; will stick with that once the Foma is used up.

 

[Krzys]

But Fomapan is such an awesome film and cheap. This overrules the terrible curl! What I hate is the blue color of the film.

I've never had problems from curling film other than handling it. Once I get it in my enlarger or holders its fine.

 

[batterytypehah!]

Lengthwise curl seems under control for me with a paper clip weight.

Crosswise curl is driving me nuts with Efke film. I would just stop buying the stuff but some of my shooting is in 127 and there are few other options.

My last roll of APX400 also curls crosswise like you wouldn't believe, and I don't know why. Processed the same as another one months ago that came out flat (D76 1:1).

 

[amateriat]

For the film I soup myself, I use a wall-mounted electric film dryer (Prinz), and have never had a problem with curling.

C41 film, whether I drop it off at a pro lab in Manhattan, or my local CVS, gets left with instructions to leave the roll uncut. The film is handed back to me either loosely spooled in a bag or wound tightly in a plastic film canister. In either case, I usually remove it from the canister, reverse-wind ("B-wind") it, put it back into the canister, and leave for anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the severity of curl.

The neat thing about current Kodak films is that they've actually paid attention to this problem, and seem to have largely reduced it.


- Barrett

 

[maddoc]

I found that the film`s tendency to curl depends largely on the humidity in the room. In winter with dry air, the film curls much more (cross-wise) than in summer with higher humidity.

From my experience, the Fuji films curl least while Tri-X and Efke have a much stronger tendency to curl.

 

[ruby.monkey]

Betterscanning film holders and anti-Newton-Ring glass mean that I don't have to worry about film curl.

 

[snausages]

I found that the film`s tendency to curl depends largely on the humidity in the room. In winter with dry air, the film curls much more (cross-wise) than in summer with higher humidity.

Totally noticed this too. Tri-X flat in summer, curly in winter. I hang my film in the shower and, now that it's dry radiator-heat season, I'm going to try to humidify the room next time.

 

[benlees]

But Fomapan is such an awesome film and cheap. This overrules the terrible curl! What I hate is the blue color of the film.

I've never had problems from curling film other than handling it. Once I get it in my enlarger or holders its fine.

I agree that Foma is a fine film but I can get Tri-x locally for $3.89 Cdn/roll. The Fomapan cannot be found locally so the Kodak product is in real terms less expensive. And zero hassles! Curly film is potential for more fingerprints and dust, in my admittedly limited experience.

 

[martin s]

When I hang the film I hang in above the tub and attach it to the side of the tub with a strong magnet. The upper end is clipped to a laundry line mounted to the wall. They usually come out straight, otherwise / usually I also put them into the film canister and later in the sleeves.

martin

 

[fixbones]

Well.... under piles and piles of book for a couple of days will set my films straight =D

 

[Savara]

In my processing I found that Kodak films tend to curl more than Ilford, so I shoot HP5 and it dries pretty flat just hanging in my bath.

 

[lawrence]

From my experience, the Fuji films curl least while Tri-X and Efke have a much stronger tendency to curl.

Curiously I've had a different experience -- I've just developed six rolls of Acros and there is a greater tendency to curl than with the other films I use (mostly Ilford HP5 & Delta 400). However, the film was close to expiry and I'm wondering if this might have something to do with it, though it seems unlikely...

 

[wgerrard]

What we need is for someone to explain what causes the curling in the first place. Different evaporation rates in the different layers?

I dry film with a metal clip at either end. There's minimal length-wise curl. Cross-wise curl does seem to vary from film to film and by humidity. I make initial scans regardless of curl. The negs then go under a big book for a couple of days before I scan for keeps.