photoflo streaking nightmare.

[anitasanger]

Hey guys, I seem to be having trouble getting spot free negatives. I used to mix up a batch of photoflo per the instructions and use as needed. I got streaks. I've since changed to syringing out a one shot amount of photoflo per roll in the tank after rinsing. Better, but im still getting streaks every now and then. I don't squeegee, just photoflo, hang to dry and archive. I even tried the squeegee with your fingers method and those streaks were among my worst ever.

ANyway... is there a better wetting agent? Is there a better method? What are you cats doing to get beautiful, streak free, dust free negatives?

Thanks, Luke

 

[fixbones]

Did you use tap water or distilled water?
I have been using photo flo (at well below the concentration recommended) with no water spots/streaking - 1ml of photoflo to 600mls distilled water.

Recently tried using just tap water with no problems either.

 

[Paul_C]

Use only 2-3 drops photoflo and use it gently, no suds.

 

[anitasanger]

I've been using city tap water at my in-laws as opposed to my well water. It has been soapy on occasion. but sometimes not soapy. Sudsy I mean.

 

[imokruok]

Also make sure to pull the negatives out of the tank in a fluid, linear manner. Don't just pull the whole roll out at once - remove it from the spindle, put it back in the tank, and pull it out starting from one end. At least you get a little sheeting action that way.

 

[Lflex]

For dust free: you need a dust free room. I dry my negs in a small shower room and rinse the walls prior to drying the negs. I don't open the door unneccessary during drying.
Streak free: No wetting agent - after normal rinse i soak the negs 1 min in distilled or de-mineralized water.

 

[anitasanger]

Nice tip on the linear extraction. I've never done that. ANything else anyone? Does photoflo expire? What is it's purpose? To create less friction allowing all of the water to slide off of the neg?

 

[Paul_C]

It's liquid detergent - basically it makes water wetter.

 

[kxl]

For 2 rolls of 35mm in a tank, I use 1 liter of water, 30ml of rubbing alcohol and 2.5ml of photo flo for about 1 minute. I hang the negs diagonally in a dust free bathroom (the humidity helps prevent curls).

 

[anitasanger]

Ah okay, what does the rubbing alcohol do?

 

[kxl]

Ah okay, what does the rubbing alcohol do?

the quick drying action cuts down on the water spots.

 

[jmcd]

In addition to all the good advice above, be gentle with the negatives in the solution—lower gently, and let sit in the solution for at least one minute.

To minimize the amount of the Photoflo on my negatives, I drip about 6-7 drops, from a glass and bulb dropper, into a liter of distilled water. If you keep the solution sealed between uses, it will work for many, many rolls. Add a couple of more drops to extend the solution further; then start a new batch. Cost amortized is negligible, and the negatives are spot free.

 

[anitasanger]

Ah...I've been kind of agitating them around in the solution...YIKES.

 

[kyler.]

Ah...I've been kind of agitating them around in the solution...YIKES.

I've been doing the same thing for my first home developed roll. What are you going to do now to avoid the streaks. Just gently dip?

 

[ferider]

How do the streaks look ?

If they are white it's likely dried fixer. Make sure you wash long enough. Thoroughly wash three or more times before the final wash with flo. I usually let the final wash sit for 15 minutes or so ....

Roland.

 

[sepiareverb]

I use sprint End Run mixed with distilled water, followed by a wipe down with half a Photo-Wipe which used to be a standard item for all photo supply stores. Sadly discontinued as a Photographic item and now a medical supply. We use Kodak Photo Flo at work, again mixed with distilled water, at half the recommended amount of stock solution. Photo Wipes are the sure solution to drying marks. At work we had a terrible time with students having films covered in marks. None anymore.

A half a minute to a minute in the wetting agent, followed by a single pass with a fresh half a Photo Wipe, and hang to dry. Films dry faster so have less chance for dust to stick, as the excess Wetting agent is absorbed by the wipe.

I've used this method since 1982 or so and never have marks or dust.

 

[Pirate]

We are talking standard Black & White here, right?

I was getting spots when using photo flo. I stopped using it and went to the squeegee method and started getting lines from bits of squeegee that were getting nicked up from the perforations on the 35mm. Now I do a final rinse in filtered water and hang them in a little custom made drying closet for the night.

With C-41, it comes straight out of the Stabilizer and into the drying closet.

 

[sreed2006]

@sepiareverb - Your link to Photo-Wipe is not working for me. Can you check it, please?

Thanks.

 

[bigeye]

Just a drop per roll is enough, don't agitate or let it foam. It's just soap, a wetting agent. Any problems would come from using to much.

 

[Tim Gray]

My tap water leaves crud on my negatives no matter what, so I do my final rinse in distilled water and photo-flow. My previous place's water was fine.

I don't really worry about suds. I pour in the photo-flo solution at the end, tap the tank a couple times, and let it sit for a minute. Then I pour it out into a container and hang my negs up in the shower. Then I take the used photo-flo and pour it down each neg strip, letting the water sheet off the strip. It seems to help a bit and knocks off bubbles and stuff.

Despite all of the advice to do this or that, I would recommend you just test it yourself. When I moved and started getting drying problems, I followed all the advice (just use distilled water, just use one drop of photo-flo, etc.) and none of them fixed it. So I started off with distilled water and slowly increased the amount of photo-flo on each roll I used until things dried properly. You could always start off with Kodak's recommendations of 1:200 and slowly back off until the photo-flo crud goes away. I ended up with 1:300.