How do you store your negatives?

[PATB]

Although I seldom see scratched negatives now that I don't squeege anymore, I still see scratched negatives from time to time. The scratches are horizontal and are very very fine -- however, they are visible when scanning. I haven't noticed any scratches from wet prints yet. I will print some of these scratched negatives in the college darkroom when the lab opens again next week to make sure.

I use a slide film adapter (not the strip feeder) when scanning using a Nikon Coolscan V. I also create contact sheets with the negatives in a Printfile.

Since I have been very careful handling my negatives, I am wondering if inserting negatives in and out of Printfiles may be causing the scratches. I am not sure. I don't have this problem with slides , which I just keep in boxes.

Any advice on how to properly store negatives will be greatly appreciated.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I think the best tip is to handle them so that the emulsion stays side down, and use soft gloves to pull them out of the print file archival sheets.

I haven't seen scratches in my negatives so far... Good luck!

 

[ffttklackdedeng]

I had occasional fine horizontal scratches, too. Since I'm using the strip feeder of the CS V, I didn't really knew if they were or were not caused by the feed procedure.

PATB, you could try FoldLock sleeves which I'm using now. I tried them and have now next to no scratches at all. They are not really cheap so if you shoot a lot of film it might be a too expensive solution.

I'm living next to a professional archiving etc. related shop (monochrom.com) and by lurking around there I discovered those - they are made by an US company (CA), Light Impressions btw.

 

[photophorous]

I also use Printfile negative sleeves and a Coolscan V, and I see very fine scratches too. I never noticed them when I had a cheaper scanner. As soon as I got the coolscan, and I saw the scratches, I changed my routine, so that I scan before I put the negatives in the printfile sleeves. As soon as I made that change, the scratches disappeared, so I'm sure it's the negative sleeves. I get cleaner scans this way for lack of scratches and less dust/dirt too, so it works out well.

If my negatives need flattening, or I just can't scan them immediately, I roll the strip backwards onto the reel and leave it in the tank for a while. It actually flattens better that way anyway. I figure if I ever need to rescan the negatives, I'll just have to clone the scratches out, but hopefully I won't have to. If you know a way to avoid them completely, please let me know.

Paul

 

[PATB]

Thank you all. I will have to figure out a workflow where I inset the negatives into the printfiles only after I create a contact sheet and scan or wet print. I guess I will keep them in Costco-type sleeves until then. This should keep insertion of the negatives into the printfiles to a minimum.

Thanks again.