mysterious lines in print

davido · Feb 11, 2011

Has anyone else ever come across this strange phenomenon of parallel lines throughout a print? I've recently seen this in a friends finished print, they are very obvious in consistent tone areas (skies).
They are about 1/4 inch apart. I'm guessing it's defective paper.
I don't know what type of paper it was.

david

Alan W · Feb 11, 2011

What does the negative look like?

davido · Feb 11, 2011

I don't have the opportunity to look at the negative at this time, but I have seen prints made from the same negative before and they do not have these lines.

david

Worker 11811 · Feb 11, 2011

If you see lines which travel parallel to the direction of film travel in the camera, check the pressure plate and film gate for dirt and/or burrs.

If you are using a type of film that comes in a cartridge (35mm) check the lips of the magazine for dust, dirt and burrs.

While we're on the subject, this wouldn't be a bad time to clean the whole film path of your camera... An ounce of prevention, don'cha know!

davido · Feb 12, 2011

Randy, This print is from a large format type 55 polaroid negative. So, it's not scratch marks from the movement of the film. Plus, these are completely symmetrical lines.

Ian Grant · Feb 12, 2011

They could be pressure scratches grit /dirt in the rollers of the film holder, they would be parallel.

Ian

marco.taje · Feb 12, 2011

It just comes to me... A good test would be printing the same negative tilted 90 degrees on a sheet from the same box of paper..

Photo Engineer · Feb 12, 2011

As pointed out in an earlier post, the OP is about a print. In fact it is about more than one print from the same negative. One does not have the lines and the other one does. (Post #1 and post #3)

Something is bad in the print with lines. It could be bad paper or a stuck roller in a roller transport processor. It is hard to say, but Marco has a thought here to test if it is bad paper.

PE

Ian Grant · Feb 12, 2011

Slight scratches to negatives can occur during storage if there's grit/dirt present in the neg sleeves, in addition a slight surface scratch (non emulsion side) may show when printed with a condenser enlarger but not with a cold light source or colour (diffuser) head.

Ian

Marco B · Feb 12, 2011

davido said:
Has anyone else ever come across this strange phenomenon of parallel lines throughout a print? I've recently seen this in a friends finished print, they are very obvious in consistent tone areas (skies).
They are about 1/4 inch apart. I'm guessing it's defective paper.
I don't know what type of paper it was.

david

davido said:
Randy, This print is from a large format type 55 polaroid negative. So, it's not scratch marks from the movement of the film. Plus, these are completely symmetrical lines.

Are you absolutely sure this friend of yours isn't making d*****l prints from scans of his type 55 negatives, instead of doing analog printing in a darkroom? It all sounds to me like those familiar problems you continuously have with clogged nozzles on d*****l printers.

PVia · Feb 12, 2011

Reflections from the paper guides in an easel, if the paper stock is single weight and the easel baseboard is not yellow or black...? I don't know, but thought I'd mention, you never know.

Worker 11811 · Feb 12, 2011

davido said:
Randy, This print is from a large format type 55 polaroid negative. So, it's not scratch marks from the movement of the film. Plus, these are completely symmetrical lines.

I didn't know that from what you first said but, yes, that would eliminate camera problems.

You might be right. It could be a problem with the paper or in processing/handling the paper.

Has the negative been checked for damage?

I agree with the idea of turning the paper and/or the negative at to another angle as a good process of elimination.

removed account4 · Feb 12, 2011

if the rollers in a dry-to-dry print ( like an extamatic / xray ) processor are dirty, they can make lines across the print just like you describe ... the same way dirty rollers in a polo back can make lines on a sheet of film ..

mysterious lines in print

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