How to dry film

[keytarjunkie]

I'm sure there must be a discussion on this but I couldn't find one so here goes.

At my school we have a big film dryer...once we're done developing, we clip hangers to our film and hang them from the top of the dryer. This method works great for medium and large format, but whenever I shoot 35mm I get tons of watermarks all over my image. I'm convinced it's the way 35mm curls compared to the other formats, but I don't know what to do to help get the watermarks off (once they've dried on there, I can spend lots of time wiping them off, but it doesn't work 100% and it leaves some scratches on my negs). Any suggestions?

 

[bolohead]

I just dip my negs in Photoflo and hang them to dry in a dust-free area with a weighted clip on the bottom. Seems to work fine for me and they come out relatively flat. After sleeving them, I put a stack of books on top for a day to flatten them.

 

[Peter S]

A salad spinner works very well for me. http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76432&highlight=salad+spinner

 

[StuartR]

Your best bet is to use photo flo or ilfotol if you don't already. If you do, try mixing it in distilled water, that will cut down on drying spots. You can also try using the photo-flo or wetting agent at half strength -- this will have a similar benefit in making the liquid slide off more easily, but it will cut down on the suds and bubbles, which can leave drying marks if they do not slide all the way off the film.

Finally, if none of those work, try using a forced air dryer if you can. They tend to push the water off the film more quickly, drying them before the water has a chance to collect in certain areas and cause drying spots.

 

[Chris101]

I would suspect the wetting agent gets contaminated with all kinds of crap from other students who use it before you. I have seen the same thing. When I bring my own photoflo and rinse it in my own (stainless) tank, my film comes out nice and clean. Unless my solution is gunky as well.

 

[kipkeston]

photoflo, diluted correctly (usually 1:200), hang dry in a clean room, and have patience.

 

[chris00nj]

I give it a final rinse in a drop of Photoflo and distilled water. No watermarks when distilled water dries.

Also the cooler and more humid the temperture is when drying, the less curl you will get.

 

[newspaperguy]

I'm with the Photoflo group, but I always squeegee
my films immediately after hanging them. And before
anyone screams... NO, I've never had scratched film.
(The squeegee is used wet, and is rinsed and bagged after use.)

 

[oftheherd]

Some people also recommend sliding first and middle fingers gently down the film, to remove excess water. I was always a little worried about scratching the film. Photoflo is a better solution, as long as it is clean, as mentioned by Chris101.

I also remember that Ilford HP4 and HP5 which I used years ago, simply would not dry in a manner that allowed spots for form. It was amazing stuff.

EDIT: I see while I was posting, newspaperguy mentioned squeegees also, which is what the fingers become. I have not done it that often, but when I did, I made sure my hands were clean, and I didn't squeeze too hard.

 

[kievman]

Yes, definitely use fresh photoflow, but afterwards, use a yankee sponge squegee. that has been dipped in photoflow, if you can find one, if you cant use a very soft artifical sponge that has been dipped in photoflow and folded over.Gently pull your film thru the sponge or yankee squegee with some of the photoflow squessed out. this will remove any drops and your negs will dry nice and spot free. Some say this scratches your film, but if done properly I have never had it occur. - Kievman

 

[samuelphoto]

I give it a final rinse in a drop of Photoflo and distilled water. No watermarks when distilled water dries.

Also the cooler and more humid the temperture is when drying, the less curl you will get.

Ditto for me but I also use a saturated sponge squeegee with VERY light force and then hang. Works perfectly.

 

[yoyo22]

Last weekend I've tried Rollei Rapiddry Eco and I am quite pleased with the results. It's a reusable solution which contains a lot of isopropyl alcohol. It took 5-10 minutes for me to dry one film at room temperature.

 

[jmcd]

I keep a liter bottle filled with distilled water and a couple of drops of photo-flo, which is a very weak dilution, but plenty because distilled water is so clean. After washing the film, I shake off the excess wash water, and soak the film for about one minute in the distilled water and photo-flo solution, then hang to dry with a clothespin clipped to the bottom edge of the film.

I keep H20/photo-flow solution sealed when not in use, and it is good for many, many rolls of film. When the occasional spot starts to show up, I mix a new batch.

 

[sepiareverb]

I like the clothes dryer 😀

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I'm a photo-flo and sponge/squegee user. But then, I've learned to prevent dust in the air: I hang my film to dry in a bathroom, in the shower area, AFTER running the shower in hot water so that the steam picks up any dust floating in the air and sticks it somewhere.

Never had any problem with watermarks.

 

[DNG]

I'm a photo-flo and sponge/squegee user. But then, I've learned to prevent dust in the air: I hang my film to dry in a bathroom, in the shower area, AFTER running the shower in hot water so that the steam picks up any dust floating in the air and sticks it somewhere.

Never had any problem with watermarks.

I have used this method, san-sponge-squeegee, and have in about 1 hour, it's ready to cut and scan....

Another problem, I thought was fixed with mixing with distilled water and washing with charcoal filtered water was the micro sized black spots..I only use the filter for film washing, so it has seen only 1 hour of use... It happens 1/3 of time...😕 I have only washed about 8 rolls in the last 5 weeks for 10min each.

 

[mathomas]

I've been pretty happy with my last few rolls, where I do the final wash with two drops of LFN in distilled water (300ml 135 tank). Haven't really noticed many, if any spots when scanning.

 

[Bob Michaels]

I'm with the Photoflo group, but I always squeegee
my films immediately after hanging them. And before
anyone screams... NO, I've never had scratched film.
(The squeegee is used wet, and is rinsed and bagged after use.)

Same for me except I did have a scratch back in 2006. But it was minor enough that I could clone it out.

 

[Neare]

Don't forget the SQUEEGEE!

 

[wgerrard]

Wettings agents like Photo-Flo are intended to reduce water spots, but really don't have any impact on dust.

Drying negatives in a dust-free environment is essential. Bathrooms are fine, but remember that if there is an AC or heating outlet the moving air will stir up dust. (Unless you have a lab building satellites, you don't have a dust-free environment. Dust is everywhere. What we are really looking for is a small space with as little air movement as possible.)

I dry mine in small closet. Since it is about 15 feet from the sink where I process, I shield the reel as I take it to the closet. Because opening the closet door will stir up dust, I open the door several minutes earlier. I unwind the negatives from the reel in the closet, close the door slowly, and wait.