Flattening Film. Let's collect ideas.

[mfogiel]

I read once about a guy who was putting the film in the sleeves on a lightbox, pressing with some books and turning the lightbox on for a couple of hours to generate some heat. Apparently this works perfectly, although I cannot confirm, as my lightbox has cold light...

 

[maddoc]

That`s what I assume, different evaporation rates and humidity coefficients of expansion for the different layers.

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

 

[hans voralberg]

I found that as long as you maintain a constant amount of heat and humidity you can drastically reduce curling while hanging. Even if the film curl cross-wise just one night under a book cures it.

 

[johannielscom]

Film sits fine in my Minolta ScanDual IV, but 6x9 on the Epson GT-7000 Photo was troublesome.

I got myself a 10x15 cms de-mirrored (what do you call that in English?) photo frame from the thrift shop, paid EUR 1.20 for it. The glass I cut to the size of the accessory film lighting unit on the GT-7000, approx 10x12 cms. Carefully got rid ot the sharp edges with a Dremel grinder head.

It serves as perfect Anti-Newton Glass. When using VueScan I can scan up to 6000 dpi. When using my default setting of 3200 dpi, the 6x9 negatives are 75-80 MP a piece.😱😎

This is what it looks like:

(obviously a quick&dirty shot here😛)

The Epson GT-7000 is a 1997 scanner. Got mine for EUR 25 with the photo accessory. Recommended, great value for price, I'd say.

 

[Lilserenity]

Mine is very simple, out of the tank, see-saw it through some distilled water that contains some PhotoFlo. Then hold it up diagonnally as long as my arms can take, shake off the excess water, hang it up in my bathroom with a big weighty bulldog clip at the bottom of the strip, turn off light and go to bed and let it dry over night.

I end up with nice flat negs all the time 🙂

 

[batterytypehah!]

^^Nice set-up, Johan! Thanks for this tip.

 

[pachuco]

I also use the heavy book treatment for my Tri-X negatives. Works like a charm for me. I hate curly negatives!

 

[rjbuzzclick]

I use a variation of the heavy book treatment...I hang them to dry with a weight at the lower end, then cut them and sleeve them, then place them between two masonite rectangles (smooth sides facing film) with some weight on top. It gets most of the curl out, but I still have some edge to edge curl with 120 film.

 

[ferider]

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-

I'm very new to this (9 35mm rolls so far), but this is what I do as well - except for using wooden laundry clips (a bit heavier), wash with flo, no wiping, just hang it to dry it over night. Works very well, practically no curl. When it's dry, I scan it as a roll, then cut and sleeve it, and since a week, re-scan individual negs with a different holder, for digital printing.

Roland.

 

[RayPA]

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

Same here. I wouldn't say "never", but 'rarely', instead. I use a final rinse with photo-flo, squeegee with my fingers, and hang it in my dryer with weighted clips.

My dryer has a three settings, fan, heat 1, and heat 2. Sometimes I'll preheat the dryer or bump up the internal temperature while the film is hanging inside with one or two short (20-30s) bursts of heat, but it's the heat that causes the curl, so I mostly use the fan setting.

I wash with tap water and immerse in Photo-Flo solution. I then wipe lightly with a folded paper towel (Scot Tri Fold).

I'm glad this works for you, but I try to avoid using paper products because of the possibility of scratching.

/

 

[MichiganBill]

I always flatten my negatives with photography magazines. I figure that will make my photos better by osmosis. 🙂

 

[oftheherd]

Like some others, I hang them to dry over the bathtub, with clothes hangers at the bottem and top. Any residual curl (seldom), goes away in the film holders I put them in to store them in large notebooks.

 

[DRabbit]

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-

I've only been doing it for less than a year, but this is the method I use and have had no problems either.

 

[stig_dahlin]

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-

The same goes for me, with the same method. I developed my first roll of tri-x late in 1964 and have been at it, well not ever since, but let's say two-thirds of the time. The only time I've even seen curly film is my fathers negatives, stored tightly rolled in canisters.

Stig

 

[Trius]

Rule #1: Only buy and use film that doesn't curl
Rule #2: See rule #1

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

I read once about a guy who was putting the film in the sleeves on a lightbox, pressing with some books and turning the lightbox on for a couple of hours to generate some heat. Apparently this works perfectly, although I cannot confirm, as my lightbox has cold light...

This method works fairly well on curly negatives. I leave the negatives under a book and turn on the lightbox for an hour or two. I then shut off the light and leave it there overnight. Works wonders on bad curls.

Another method I've found to work well is rolling up the negative sheet in a roll going against the curl. Then sliding the sheet into a cardboard tube. Leave overnight or for 1-2 days, film comes out nice and straight. Leaving the negatives for too long turns the curling problem the other direction...