How do you tell if your film holders are full?

[mjs]

Ready-for-use holders are stored in carrying bags: insulated lunch bags designed to carry 12 cans of soda (or whatever ) for 4x5 or inexpensive vertical-loading notebook computer bags from Target for 8x10 ($18, nicely padded, shoulder strap: works great! I wish they made them in white, though.) Holders with film loaded are in freezer bags; if it isn't in a freezer bag, it isn't loaded. Holders are cleaned and re-loaded after unloading their film: it's something to do while the film washes. I never load just one side of a holder unless it's a situation where I'm going to expose and develop immediately afterward.

I don't use many different types of film: 4x5 is either 100Tmx or Portra 160 NC and 8x10 is J&C Pro. The 4x5 Portra holders are marked with sticky tags so I know that those 4 holders are infidels. Dark side out = unexposed (white = light, as someone else described it.)

 

[paul owen]

I learned a great method from Rob Barker. You use rubber/elastic bands. Once the film is loaded into the holder you place a rubber band around the holder's middle (shortest width). Once film is exposed the rubber band is place lengthways (longest distance) across the holder - holding the dark slides in place and a good indicator that the film is exposed! Rob used to colour code his bands too! Red for velvia, blue for provia, etc!! Cheap and it works too! I've even thought about getting some regular brown bands, writing "EBONY" on them, and making a killing on E**Y!!