Drying Large Format Negatives

Logan Becker · May 21, 2017

Logan Becker submitted a new resource:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists) - Interested to learn a few tricks to evenly dry large format and ULF negatives.

What do you use to dry your large format negatives after processing? I have a food dehydrator where I remove several trays and hang the clipped film from the top, but sometimes I get a few water spots that are hard to clean off.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Leigh B · May 21, 2017

I just hang the metal film holders from a rod installed above the sink.
Even if I develop in trays, I put the negs in the holders to dry.

The air in my darkroom is filtered, so no dust or lint.

They dry quite nicely overnight.

- Leigh

removed account4 · May 21, 2017

hi logan
i have a cheap suncast plastic-resin drying cabinet i purchased from lower/home despot
several years ago, and a metal filing cabinet/closet before that. drilled holes through the sides
and stitch framer's wire through the cabinet/ i can dry something like 30 or 40 negatives in there.
i also have a drying "clothes line" strung across my long darkroom sink. its like a pair of 2 "X"'s with
wire/string strung across. in both the cabinet and the clothes line i use wooden clothespins.
i don't have any issues with dust &c. some prints are also dried in the same cabinet/clothes line
and i also have a big wooden drying cabinet with screens i dry prints in. and extra large paper negatives.

Logan Becker · May 21, 2017

With your rig, you experience no problems with water spots?

removed account4 · May 21, 2017

nope not in 17 years my current configuration or 20 + years before that.
i use photo flo ( a couple of drops / film tank / tray of water ) and then hang them.
never water spots or problems with drying .. i don't " squeegee " anything but PRINTS
i don't run my fingers down 35mm or 120 film either .. i just leave for a while...

michaelorr · May 21, 2017

I do like @jnanian While the sheet films are hanging and drying, i do wick off the drops of water at the lower corner a few times during drying time

Logan Becker · May 21, 2017

don't have any photo flo, would dish soap work? Same principle I'm thinking, lowering the surface tension of water...

MattKing · May 21, 2017

Logan Becker said:
don't have any photo flo, would dish soap work? Same principle I'm thinking, lowering the surface tension of water...

Unfortunately dish soap contains fragrances and other non-photographic additives, so I would not recommend it.
A bottle of Photo-flo lasts a very long time.

Leigh B · May 21, 2017

Logan Becker said:
don't have any photo flo

You need to get some. It's dirt cheap.

I've used Photo Flo for every film I've developed in the last 60+ years. Never a water spot.

- Leigh

Andrew O'Neill · May 21, 2017

I do nothing special. My darkroom is not a dusty place. After a bath in distilled water with some Drywell (Fuji's version of Photoflo), I hang them by a corner with plastic clothes pegs, on a cord stretched above the sink.

mshchem · May 21, 2017

I use regular film clips. I bought some dental Xray film clips, helluva bite in a small area, just haven't got them up yet.
Purified water photo flo hang in the darkroom to dry.
The film hanger trick works well to just leave the film in the SS film hanger. Photo flo and hang to dry. I would wash the hangers later to get any photoflo residue off if you want to be safe. I've never used a drying cabinet, too much dust gets stirred up and I don't like the heat.
Mike

Luis-F-S · May 22, 2017

Ca Custom drying cabinet after Photo-flo. Fan air no heat.

pdeeh · May 22, 2017

mshchem said:
I bought some dental Xray film clips

Me too.
In fact I use them for hanging prints and for hanging sensitised paper to dry in the dark too.
(I always found clothes pegs or other types of clip left a big enough mark to annoy me; but the dental clips leave just a tiny indentation. They're very far from "necessary" though.)

Everything from 35mm to homemade 40x50cm negatives gets hung in the bathroom to dry.

As far as drying marks go, distllled or deionised water as a final rinse with a photo-grade wetting agent like Photo-flo or Ilfotol is definitely the way to go.

bdial · May 22, 2017

I hang them on film clips at the corner where the notches are, after a photo-flo rinse.

Arklatexian · May 22, 2017

Andrew O'Neill said:
I do nothing special. My darkroom is not a dusty place. After a bath in distilled water with some Drywell (Fuji's version of Photoflo), I hang them by a corner with plastic clothes pegs, on a cord stretched above the sink.

I do basically the same as you with clothes pins on wires above the sink. The pins are separated from each other with soda straws between them, I dry sheet and medium format, and short rolls of 35mm film above the sink, at one end and outside the sink, I can dry several 36 exp rolls of 35mm. Been working fine for many years now......Regards!

LAG · May 23, 2017

I use a thin metal rod where I insert mini grippers that are firmly hooked to other mini grippers (with a protective rubber to avoid marks) that hold film. That way, in a space of 30 cm, I'm able to hang 10 films without touching and turning into each other. I hang each film to drip half time to the left, half time to the right.

All the best!

KenS · Dec 10, 2017

I always hang my washed 4x5 and 8x10 film using 'Dental film clips in one either of the 'top corners such that the moisture drains down to the 'opposite' bottom corner. I rarely (if ever) have had any residual 'crap' remaining on either surface of the film when hung overnight in that fashion..... and our tap water here on the Prairies is pretty 'Hard'. Over a number of years, my last soaking using 'Photoflo' surfactant at the recommended 'dilution' seems to have eliminated the problem that was evident when the film was not hung "by a corner"... Years ago a co-worker had a preference for hanging film to dry still in the Kodak hangers in a 'commercial' warm air dryer while still in the hangers... He was never 'comfortable handling 'still-wet' sheet film....and there always seemed to have that crap which was almost impossible to remove without a good re-wash and a gentle 'wipe' to 'clean' the bottom corner with a soft cloth.

Ken

Drying Large Format Negatives

Logan Becker

Leigh B

removed account4

Logan Becker

removed account4

michaelorr

Logan Becker

MattKing

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Leigh B

Andrew O'Neill

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mshchem

Luis-F-S

pdeeh

bdial

Arklatexian

LAG

KenS

Drying Large Format Negatives

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