How to mark 4x5 holders as loaded

nbagno · Sep 1, 2015

Working with my first 4x5 I noticed after loading film and mixing up the holders with empty ones that I have no way of knowing which holders have film. I got the white side / dark side to indicate if the film was exposed. How do you mark that it's loaded with film? Write on it?

Trail Images · Sep 1, 2015

Everyone has their own thoughts on this. But for me if the White Side is showing it's loaded. After exposure I just reverse the dark-slide and have the Black Side showing.
As far as completely empty I guess you could just pull the dark-slide up a bit to show it's empty and leave it that way. I've never had holders sitting idle and not in one condition or another.
Maybe others will have ideas to share here.

summicron1 · Sep 1, 2015

I write on the outside what film is in it (pencil, on that white space) -- no writing = no film.

nbagno · Sep 1, 2015

Trail Images said:
Everyone has their own thoughts on this. But for me if the White Side is showing it's loaded. After exposure I just reverse the dark-slide and have the Black Side showing.
As far as completely empty I guess you could just pull the dark-slide up a bit to show it's empty and leave it that way. I've never had holders sitting idle and not in one condition or another.
Maybe others will have ideas to share here.

For now I have the dark slides pulled completey out of the holders. I thought about pulling them out a little but thought they could easily slide back in.

nbagno · Sep 1, 2015

summicron1 said:
I write on the outside what film is in it (pencil, on that white space) -- no writing = no film.

Some of the used ones I just bought had pencil showing the film loaded, I didn't want to contribute to dust when I erase it. I guess I could always make sure to do a good clean job before reloading.

Nige · Sep 1, 2015

my method..

white with rubber band lengthwise holding darkslides in, loaded- unexposed
black with rubber band lengthwise holding darkslides in, loaded - exposed
white with rubber band crossways, no film loaded
black with rubber band crossways, I don't do this.

YMMV

nbagno · Sep 1, 2015

Nige said:
my method..

white with rubber band lengthwise holding darkslides in, loaded- unexposed
black with rubber band lengthwise holding darkslides in, loaded - exposed
white with rubber band crossways, no film loaded
black with rubber band crossways, I don't do this.

YMMV

nice

Alan Gales · Sep 2, 2015

I keep my loaded holders together in one place and my unloaded holders together in a different place.

graflexboy · Sep 2, 2015

This has been a problem for me.

Lately, I placed the empty holders in a stack, atop the stack I put a note stating EMPTY, and I placed the stack of empty holders in a bright yellow plastic bag (grocery type) in my camera storage area.

I say it is a problem because I misremembered my method and developed a few sheets of film that were UNEXPOSED! Doh!

Micah in NC
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Alan Gales · Sep 2, 2015

I own ten 4x5 holders and ten 8x10 holders. I normally only load five of each format at a time. My loaded holders are kept in a cabinet in our dining room until they are loaded into one of my camera bags. My unloaded holders are kept in my bedroom closet. I'm not the most organized person and this keeps me from screwing up. You just have to figure out what works for you and then keep doing the same thing over and over.

Some say that shooting large format is just more ways of screwing up. It's fun though when you get it right!

wiltw · Sep 2, 2015

nbagno said:
For now I have the dark slides pulled completey out of the holders. I thought about pulling them out a little but thought they could easily slide back in.

Not a good practice, as this leaves the interior of the film holder open to collect dust!

BradS · Sep 2, 2015

white side (bumps) out : loaded and un-exposed
black side (no bumps) out: loaded with exposed film

Keep empty film holders in a box separate from the loaded film holders. In the dark, when loaded, keep the empties in one stack and the loaded in a different stack....well away from the empties.

Bill Burk · Sep 2, 2015

graflexboy said:
This has been a problem for me.

Lately, I placed the empty holders in a stack, atop the stack I put a note stating EMPTY, and I placed the stack of empty holders in a bright yellow plastic bag (grocery type) in my camera storage area.

I say it is a problem because I misremembered my method and developed a few sheets of film that were UNEXPOSED! Doh!

Micah in NC
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If the holders are in a Ziploc bag in my filters and flash box... They're Empty.

After loading, heat-seal the bag so that in the field, I know I've got fresh, clean film.

But even this isn't foolproof. Once I was so certain I'd shot all the film I brought, I didn't even notice that I was ripping open a sealed bag to develop UNEXPOSED film! As for the other holder... It was double exposed.

Richard Man · Sep 2, 2015

Of course I use the white for unexposed and black for exposed. On top of that, I use different ziplocks with big marker writing to separate them. I usually load up all holders the previous night so there's no unloaded holders, but if I do. They go to a different clearly marked bag.

Each night on the road, I make sure to put all exposed film in a box clearly labelled "exposed film" and tied with rubber band and gaffer tape.

LF photography is really about making sure you follow all the steps. Being OCD or at least always follow the same routine helps.

Steve Smith · Sep 2, 2015

White = ready for light,
Dark = ready for darkroom.

Steve.

Ian Grant · Sep 2, 2015

If the white or unpainted metal side is on the outside the DDS are loaded, and there's usually a rubber-band and a large strip of paper to indicates what film's in them.

As I almost always process the same day DDS are unloaded on my return from shooting, and on the few occasions when I'm away I still unload the DDS and place the exposed sheets of film in empty boxes clearly marked as to what they are. I always double check DDS in the dark before cleaning & loading, and store them with the black side out if unloaded.

While I must have somewhere between 60 to 80 5x4 DDS I usually only carry a dozen at the most, often less.

Ian

David A. Goldfarb · Sep 2, 2015

summicron1 said:
I write on the outside what film is in it (pencil, on that white space) -- no writing = no film.

Exactly what I do.

Theo Sulphate · Sep 2, 2015

Steve Smith said:
White = ready for light,
Dark = ready for darkroom.

Steve.

This.

kraker · Sep 2, 2015

Steve Smith said:
White = ready for light,
Dark = ready for darkroom.

Steve.

Perfect, thanks for mentioning this. It's logical, therefore easy to remember.

jacaquarie · Sep 2, 2015

white side out, Film waiting to be exposed
Black side out, Film exposed, waiting for darkroom.
Black side out, in cardboard box for storage, waiting for new film.
If I need to remember more information a strip of 1 inch gaffers tape over the 'top' such that tape needs to be removed before removing dark slide and exposing film. Tried post notes but would forget and then find notes stuck inside the bellows.
What works for me is the same actions each time. Who would imagine so many different ways to make new mistakes.

RobC · Sep 2, 2015

The dark slide tab has a braille like set of bumps on it on one side ( well they do on fidelity holders ) . So you can both see and feel in dark which side is which.

You'll still get it wrong from time to time though.

removed account4 · Sep 2, 2015

nbagno said:
Working with my first 4x5 I noticed after loading film and mixing up the holders with empty ones that I have no way of knowing which holders have film. I got the white side / dark side to indicate if the film was exposed. How do you mark that it's loaded with film? Write on it?

hi nbagno

sure, write on it, sticky notes and an elastic, a bag, card stock and a note, string
there are as many ways to remember as there are people who need to remember ...

i just keep the loaded ones separate from the unloaded ones.
the unloaded ones usually the black part of the slide faces out
the loaded ones ( that are unexposed ) have the shiney / white non-black out ...
if i expose film, i try not to put it in the same place as my unloaded folders
and on occasion i do and they get mixed up ...
and if that happens, i turn the lights off, and check to see if there is film in the holder,
and sometimes i off-load it into a empty film box that says "exposed and undeveloped film" ..
everyone seems to have their own way that works for them ...
from time to time i have an armload of holders to load with film ... i check all of them with
the lights out too, and from time to time i find sheets that i stick in the box ( previously mentioned ) ...
i don't shoot a variety of different film stocks and everything i expose gets processed the same way
so it isn't like if i find a straggler it will throw a wrench in the machine.

good luck !
john

wiltw · Sep 2, 2015

The locking lugs are turned closed if the film holder is loaded with film...regardless if exposed (black) or unexposed (white) showing.

Tape is reserved for specific notes related to processing adjustments to be made (e.g. for Zone system development compensation)

Sirius Glass · Sep 2, 2015

jacaquarie said:
white side out, Film waiting to be exposed
Black side out, Film exposed, waiting for darkroom.
Black side out, in cardboard box for storage, waiting for new film.
If I need to remember more information a strip of 1 inch gaffers tape over the 'top' such that tape needs to be removed before removing dark slide and exposing film. Tried post notes but would forget and then find notes stuck inside the bellows.
What works for me is the same actions each time. Who would imagine so many different ways to make new mistakes.

Plus I write the film type on the label with a pencil. When I process the film the film type gets erased.

StephenT · Sep 2, 2015

"White = ready for light,
Dark = ready for darkroom.

Steve."

This is going to be my new method - easy for me to remember - THANKS!

How to mark 4x5 holders as loaded

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