Streaks on negatives - use alcohol?

Nicole · Jul 14, 2007

All you seasoned master printers... can I call upon your help please.

I outsourced developing of negs recently and they have come back with streaks (very straight thin lines) down the length of the negatives. It was suggested I use pure alcohol to remove the streaks. Rewashing has not been that successful. Has anyone had experience with removing streaks with pure alcohol?

I'm the only one developing my negatives again.

David A. Goldfarb · Jul 14, 2007

If rewashing didn't fix it, it's probably more useful to drink the alcohol and reshoot. You could try a film cleaner like PEC-12, but it's probably dirty rollers in a roller processor, which could interfere with development, or scratches from squeegeeing, so it may not be cleanable at this point.

Nick Zentena · Jul 14, 2007

I think alcohol is added to a photo-flo solution to speed up drying.

Have you tried distilled water and photo-flo?

If the negatives are actually dirty maybe Pec? Or something similar.

Mick Fagan · Jul 14, 2007

Nicole, I still have some Kodak film cleaner left, down to my last 500ml bottle.

More or less, it appears to be close to 100% alcohol. It's that old, the ingredients are faded on the label.

I use a cotton bud dipped into the film cleaner and rub the film gently. I have the film in a neg a holder (glassless obviously) and whilst holding it over a light box I apply the bud carefully to whichever side has the offending streak.

You may be surprised at how hard you sometimes have to rub before the offending material starts to come off, if it's going to come off!

It appears roller transport was used, not the greatest way to develop film, the way I see it.

Perhaps David's idea of drinking the grog has merit

Mick.

Kino · Jul 14, 2007

Mick, if it is the Kodak Film Cleaner I know, the active ingredient would be 1:1:1 Trichloroethane, which has been banned World Wide as a VOC pollutant (ozone depeleting). Savor it (err.. in a practical sense only, please!) , you probably will not see it again unless you find a bottle in an estate sale.

The nearest substitute that I know of is Ecco Film Cleaner. You can purchase it in the US from Christy's Editorial for $29US a pint, but being that you are in Australia, shipping might be a problem and it might not be allowed import at all...

Good luck with your cleaning problem, Nicole.

Roger Hicks · Jul 14, 2007

I still use trike. It's controlled, but I can buy it. I must use 100ml a year at the outside.

There are two kinds of marks: streaks and scratches. And they can be in two places: emulsion side and base side. I've had considerable success in removing base-side streaks with alcohol (95-96% potable ethanol). Everything else: in my experience, your only hope, and that slender, is 'wet' sandwich printing (glycerine or similar in a double glass carrier).

Kino · Jul 14, 2007

OK, bad info there; could have sworn it was banned as a film cleaner due to environmental concerns...

Roger Hicks · Jul 14, 2007

Kino said:
OK, bad info there; could have sworn it was banned as a film cleaner due to environmental concerns...

Not entirely bad info. You can't easily get it in the UK: in France it's under control (address required); and I believe it may be easier in parts of Eastern Europe. I had no intention of treading on your toes, and was surprised when I moved here at the relative ease with which I could buy it. I use it mostly for degreasing metal parts; it's not sold as a film cleaner.

Cheers,

Roger

Nicole · Jul 28, 2007

I'm sorry for only getting back here today. Hi everyone, thanks all for responding to me. Alcohol was definitely better consumed by me and rewashing was not that successful, before or after the drink. It's really not worth the effort. Another lesson learned. Keep everything inhouse.

Streaks on negatives - use alcohol?

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