The tape on 120 film

walter23 · Mar 23, 2007

I have a question regarding the tape that holds film to the backing paper. Do you remove it or just fold it over before developing? I'm developing in a spiral tank.

I've been removing it because I'm afraid of it affecting the film surface in the layer below it by abrasion or adhesive transfer or something (remember I'm using spirals), but it would be easier to just leave it attached.

Andrew4x5 · Mar 23, 2007

I've never found the tape to be a problem. In fact, I remove the film from the backing paper by cutting the film midway through the tape.

Leaving some of the tape on the film can actually be an advantage if you insert that end first into the spiral, because it helps prevents buckling across the film.

Ole · Mar 23, 2007

I usually leave it on, and just fold it over the end of the film. That means that the bit now covered by the tape won't get developed, but fortunately there hasn't yet been anything important there.

Sometimes I use it to attach the next 120 film, for processing two films at the same time in one spiral.

Woolliscroft · Mar 23, 2007

I always take it off. It can produce static electricity sparks when you do it, which look distinctly worrying in the dark, but in practice they have never caused any fogging.

David.

kraker · Mar 23, 2007

This should have been a poll... each his or her opinion.

My EUR 0.02: I always leave it on. Sometimes it's that side of the film that goes first onto the spool, sometimes it's the other end. But the tape has never been a problem either way (well... I recall some Foma or Forte film where the tape was just a bit wider than the film, or not centered on the film... Don't start with the taped end in that case... )

And as Ole already mentioned... I'm "hesitant" rather than "fluent" when it comes to developing 2 120 rolls on one spool, but the few times I have tried, the tape comes in handy to attach the second film.

David Brown · Mar 23, 2007

I've done both. (there goes the poll )

Currently, however, I fold the tape over the end of the film, which makes that end much stiffer and easier to insert into the clip on the steel reels, and it holds much better in said clip! YMMV, as always.

bdial · Mar 23, 2007

I like to leave it on for the reasons already stated, though I've never tried the two rolls on one reel thing. You use a 220 reel for this? (I use SS Nikor style reels mostly).

Mahler_one · Mar 23, 2007

As a relative new comer to developing 120 film ( Jobo tanks ) allow me to add my two very inexperienced cents. I tend to rip off the tape, and fold it over the end of the film. If I have trouble with loading the tank because of "film buckling" ( evidently rather common ) then I agree that reversing the film and loading the tank with the taped end first seems to "save the day". Don't forget that if you use Rollei R3 120 film the tape must be cut with a scissor because the film is more rigid then the ususal 120 film and tearing the tape away is almost impossible.

Edwin

DannL · Mar 23, 2007

I blindly cut the end of the film off nearest the tape, using scissors. I still have all my fingers, so I must be doing perty good.

Troy · Mar 23, 2007

I use a trained gerbil wearing a tiny set of night vision goggles who chews the tape off. Later, I squeeze him and it comes out the other end in handy, two-inch lengths.

mmcclellan · Mar 23, 2007

I always left it on the film as it would help to "stiffen" the film when I loaded it onto steel reels. Without the paper, which slides under the clip, I always had problems with little "crescent moons" on the film from bending during loading. Leaving the paper on solved that problem.

Otherwise, it had absolutely no negative effect on anything (no pun intended). )

PatTrent · Mar 23, 2007

David Brown said:
I've done both. (there goes the poll )

Currently, however, I fold the tape over the end of the film, which makes that end much stiffer and easier to insert into the clip on the steel reels, and it holds much better in said clip! YMMV, as always.

I'm casting my vote with David's here, as I've never had a problem with leaving the tape on, and it does make it easier to insert the film into the reel.
Once or twice, years ago, I removed that tape and had a little flash of light, although it did not affect the film.

bgilwee · Apr 2, 2007

remove tape?

I've been double rolling my 220 reels for five years. I've always taken off the tape, just because I never thought to leave it on. When I first started I would tape the two rolls together for rolling and I was losing so many negs that I switched to no tape and roll the second with about an inch overlap to the first.Greatly inproved my rolling time and reduced my lost of negs to sandwiching and bad chem coverage.
Brian

Jerry Thirsty · Apr 2, 2007

I always take the tape completely off, because I worry about it soaking up or trapping developer and carrying it through the wash to the fixer. Not that it could carry much, but then I don't know how much it would take to contaminate the fixer either, and I don't plan on finding out the hard way.

kevs · Apr 2, 2007

I usually rip off what i can, then fold the rest over the end of the film. I make a small fold in the tape end to stop any chances of it contacting the film on the next bit of spiral.

I'm not brave enough to try the metal reels - after seeing so many students wrecking their films with creases and crescent moons, i'm sticking with the plastic ones!

IMO, two 120 films on one reel is false economy, as the danger of overlapping films is so great. Yes i've done it before and messed up the films so that's one lesson learnt!

lonelyboy · Apr 3, 2007

I also fold it over, and the part just being clipped into the spring clip of my stainless stell film reel. Perfect!

hka · Apr 3, 2007

It depends on wich film I use. The tape Fuji is using is no problem and ripoff very smooth. This tape is very thin and made from a kind of polyester. Ilford films are always a nightmare. Thier tape is an very aggresive tape and can't ripped off easy without damaging the film and having crescent moons. So my message would be; Ilford look at Fuji how they do it...

ijsbeer · Apr 3, 2007

I tear it in the middle between the film and backing, further I don't bother with is. found it quite handy to prevent the slippage of my hangers on wet film otherwise.

m_liddell · Apr 3, 2007

I leave it on and fold it over, it makes it much easier to load onto plastic reels.

Once, the tape stuck onto my film after I had unrolled it from the backing paper. It happened to stick to the best frame on the roll but luckily where it stuck is in a cloudy sky area and it is hard to notice. I'm more careful now

Bob F. · Apr 3, 2007

I fold it in half, in half again lengthwise, fold it once more in an accordion style and use scissors to make a complete circle of tiny dancing figures holding hands...

Cheers, Bob.

DannL · Apr 3, 2007

I'm completely lost in this thread, maybe. It sounds to me like everyone "except me" is unreeling the entire roll of film and then putting it on the spool, or you're rewinding your film back on the original spool. From my TLR, when the film comes out, the non-taped end is the first to go on the developing tank spool. After I have spooled up all the film, I finally arrive at the taped end, where I cut the tape.

Daud · Apr 4, 2007

I feed non taped end into reel and when I get to the tape and two paper covers , pull those off, fold tape over film end and that gives me the option of loading a second film into the same Jobo Plastic reel, without over-lap as the second film butts up against the tape. Developer carry over should not be a problem with the use of stop bath and for those worried about this – a fill and dump water bath prior to stop.

Akki14 · Apr 4, 2007

DannL said:
I'm completely lost in this thread, maybe. It sounds to me like everyone "except me" is unreeling the entire roll of film and then putting it on the spool, or you're rewinding your film back on the original spool. From my TLR, when the film comes out, the non-taped end is the first to go on the developing tank spool. After I have spooled up all the film, I finally arrive at the taped end, where I cut the tape.

I don't rewind and i'm used to just removing the tape at the end too. I don't cut the tape, though, I either tear it off or pull it off the backing and fold it over. Though I did try that trick of two 120s on one reel by using the tape to hold the two films together and although fiddly to get on the reel, it worked fine.

rst · Apr 4, 2007

I do not need to unspool the film to have it stiffed by the tape, I just put the film on the Jobo spiral up to the end and then I remove the tape, I do use the Jobo spiral for two films and if you get the first film on the spiral until it reaches the middle there is no overlap problem. At least I do not have an overlap problem.

ciao
-- Ruediger

alexphoto · Apr 5, 2007

Hi
I fold the tape round the end of the film after removing the backing paper. My reason for this is that 120 film is quite thin and the tape is stuck very fast, certainly on Ilford film. Early in my career I ripped the film when trying to remove the tape. It ripped through the adjacent frame, which of course was the best shot on the roll.

The tape on 120 film

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