Blue Base

Hi guy's and gals,

I got some FREE film its 24x30 and 18x24 cm mamography film (I'm in the biz) and have been trying to discover if and how i can use it. I tested some yesterday(cutdown to fit my 5x7) and D-23 does a credible job yet I found it is rather sensitive to my safelight! I originally thought all ortho emulsions should be rather immune but I found tell tail signs of fogging(latent images of other sheets sitting on top). The real question is will the Blue base affect printing? I use VC paper, cyanotype and salt printing.
another test on one of the 24x30 pieces full frame with a pinhole I threw together showed a rather incredible contrast range 1.26 to 3.91(I over exposed and overdeveloped)
Last question...is it worth the effort to cutdown seeing as I'll have to do it in complete darkness? ISO is about 64 with D-23

My Foma 120 film has blue in the base, and this does not affect printing, except that with my blue-colored cold light printing times speed up, compared to films without the blue base.

ronlamarsh said:

Last question...is it worth the effort to cutdown seeing as I'll have to do it in complete darkness? ISO is about 64 with D-23

Click to expand...

I would use it in the pinhole set up. Though loading it would still need to be done in complete dark, but easier than cutting it down in complete dark.

Jim

X-Ray film should be OK with a red safelight. I am pretty sure it will fog with an OC as it is sensitive to yellow-green phosphor. IIRC a brown filter was used in the X-ray darkroom.

The blue base shouldn't cause any problem. Try dilute Rodinal as a developer. I have a student who got very nice images with blue sensitive x-ray film that way. Sorry, I don't know the timing, but he was using 1:75 dilution. Mammography film is the good stuff- only one side has emulsion. Use a red safelight and have fun.