tape on 120 film

Sonicmook56 · Mar 21, 2010

When I first started developing my own film someone told me you have to remove the tape that attaches the film to the backing paper or else you will mess up the chemistry. So, I've been removing the tape in the dark bag at the expense of tearing or creasing the film and ruining an otherwise good shot.

I've been shooting alot of Fuji Acros 100 film and the tape is really sticky and hard to get off compared to kodak films I have used before.

My question is - Do I have to remove the tape, or was that bad advice?

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36cm2 · Mar 21, 2010

Posted wirelessly..

Why not just cut along that edge with scissors? It avoids physical damage and prevents microsparks from the ripping that could fog the film.

jtzordon · Mar 21, 2010

Nope, just fold it over. Or if you're using patterson tanks and reels, tape it to another 120 roll and develop two in the same reel.

photomem · Mar 21, 2010

That is bad advice. Actually, I fold the tape back over the end to make a nice thick tab that I can use to load the film onto the spool and know that as long as I am touching the tape, no chance of screwing up the film.

photomem · Mar 21, 2010

Three Simultaneous posts.. cool.

Sparky · Mar 21, 2010

same here - been doing it for 25 plus years. never a problem. You're only asking for trouble trying to peel it off... you risk kinked/damaged film, pulling the film out of the spirals and worse.

BetterSense · Mar 21, 2010

I never take it off, but when I hang the film up, I ensure that the tape-side goes down. The reason is that the tape tends to hold droplets of water that will run down the film.

polyglot · Mar 21, 2010

I always peel it off but don't find it particularly difficult, especially with Acros. The Ilford films are a little more difficult because the tape is stickier and papery instead of plastic, but it will still come off.

You get a little bit of stress exposure where the tape was stuck on, but nothing beyond that. It just peels off once you get it started; just make sure you're holding onto the film where the tape was stuck on, not some other part of the film - in other words, don't apply any shear to the film.

Sonicmook56 · Mar 21, 2010

Everyone, thank you for the fast reply!

Sparky said:
same here - been doing it for 25 plus years. never a problem. You're only asking for trouble trying to peel it off... you risk kinked/damaged film, pulling the film out of the spirals and worse.

This is exactly what I've been experiencing! I've been thinking, "How do pro labs deal with this?"

Nope, just fold it over. Or if you're using patterson tanks and reels, tape it to another 120 roll and develop two in the same reel.

You can load two rolls of film on one reel? That would literally cut my workload in half! I use these reels from Freestyle.

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/55043-Arista-Premium-Plastic-Developing-Reel?cat_id=1603

Will these fit two rolls on one spool? Do you have to put twice the chemistry in the tank? I'll probably try loading two rolls on one reel with some cheap Arista film before I try it with film that has important images on it.

I started processing my own film two years ago but still have so much to learn!

~B

John Wiegerink · Mar 21, 2010

I never take or remove the tape before processing my film and have never had any problems. I did something long ago and it convinced me never to rip the tape off my film in the darkroom or changing bag. Here's the story. I was in a college darkroom and in a bit of a hurry(always somebody pounding on the door) so I un-spooled a roll of 120film and grabbed the tape and paper and pulled it from the film base. What I saw looked like fireworks(static electricity) on the 4th of July. It shocked(just a figure of speech) me and I thought if I could see it I was sure the film could too. So, from that time on, I never ripped the tape off my film again. JohnW

fschifano · Mar 21, 2010

Bottom line is that if you remove the tape from the film, you risk damaging the film. If you leave it on, you've done no harm at all. The tape is not at all harmful to the chemistry. The decision is really a no-brainer. The advice to fold the tape over is good because it reinforces the leading edge of the film and can make loading it onto a reel a bit easier.

Q.G. · Mar 22, 2010

Sonicmook56 said:
I've been thinking, "How do pro labs deal with this?"

In my experience, they cut the end off.

And then put on another little sticky bit with a number on it to identify the film.

Sparky · Mar 22, 2010

they cut the end off AFTER development.

sepiareverb · Mar 22, 2010

BetterSense said:
I never take it off, but when I hang the film up, I ensure that the tape-side goes down. The reason is that the tape tends to hold droplets of water that will run down the film.

My practice as well. I also find the tape a good place to write a roll number during drying while I still know what number it is.

Steve Smith · Mar 22, 2010

I never take it off. I either fold it over or use it to attach a second film.

Sonicmook56 said:
Do you have to put twice the chemistry in the tank?

No. You use the same volume as the film is still taking up the same amount of space.

Steve.

fschifano · Mar 22, 2010

Careful there. Like everything else, maybe or maybe not. You definitely need enough fluid to cover the reel(s) containing the film, and that volume doesn't change appreciably if you have 1 or two rolls of 120 film on the reel. Problems can come into play if that volume of fluid does not contain enough developing agent to completely develop the film. Figure a roll of film is about 80 sq. in., you need 500 ml. to comfortably cover the reel, and you want to use XTOL at 1+2. Granted this is not an officially documented dilution ratio, but people use it and it does work well. Kodak recommends that you use at least 100 ml. of stock XTOL for each 80 sq. in. of film. To get the minimum recommended amount of stock solution to the film (200 ml. for two rolls on a single reel), a total volume of 600 ml. is required. Personally, I think the minimum volume is too small. It might be ok if the majority of the images on the roll are "average" or low key. If they're high key shots, you'll be demanding more from the developer and that minimum amount might not be enough.

Steve Smith · Mar 22, 2010

Most of the developer in the tank is used to fill in the gaps between the film and the active developer at the emulsion's surface. I personally don't think that by putting an extra film on the reel that you are going to exhaust the developer before it completes its development.

Also these reels which we are loading with two 120 films are actually designed to take a single 220 film which has the same image area.

Steve.

tape on 120 film

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