Water Streaks While Drying?!?

So I developed my first roll of film today, everything turned out fine except for the drying process. I used Kodak's Photo Flo, and during the drying process I continue to find dry streaks all over my film. I dunno if this works, but I stuck the film back into the dev tank to run it with Photo Flo once more, and I get the same results...dry streaks everywhere.

Did I sabotage myself by sticking the film back in the dev tank to re-apply the Photo Flo? I thought Photo Flo was suppose to help prevent streaking during the drying process...am I missing something here?

Dear anoldsock,

Reload the film and soak in distilled water for 3-4 minutes agitating often. Hang the film and wash down both sides with a rinse of distilled water. Allow to dry.

It's very easy to use more than the intended amount of photo-flo and a reduced concentration will work just as well. I retain the photo-flow from the soak and use it to wash down the film while it hangs. The bottle advises 5ml in a liter of water and I would guess that I use about 2 ml to a liter of distilled water.

Good luck and welcome to the world of the b&w darkroom!

Neal Wydra

Agreed: Even half a millilitre Phot-Flo in one litre will work fine [ 1:2000]. Also, hanging in a higher-humidity place may allow sufficient drying time for the water to run off. I hang film a damp shower cabinet and dry it with curtains shut. One more hint: hang the film on a slope, with one edge down; the water will run to the edge, where drying marks do no harm.

Last hint: remove film from the reel, return to tank of Phot-Flo, add clear water, causing bubbles to flow off at edges. Slowly pull the film out through the bubble-free surface. Dried bubbles may sometimes be removed by re-wetting and doing this. I used very dilute fixer, hypo-clear, then Photo-Flo.

My 2cents. Make sure you rinse the tank befor returning the film. The dilution may be to high. It doesn't take much, depending on your water and humidity it may take less.

Second thought, it may be your water, perhaps it is hard. Try mixing your photoflow with distilled.

No harm in rewashing a short time and trying again.

You aren't commenting on the developing or neg density, so it sounds like you are 90% there. Congrats!!!

I always found Kodak Photo Flo mixing instructions to be much too strong for my liking.
I just use a couple of drops in a tank of distilled water.

I've always, just after hanging, used a squeegee. Years ago
it was a Yankee sponge squeegee. That I've replaced by the
very well engineered eight blade film squeegee. Either one,
I've never been able to fault. The film and squeegee rinsed
in very dilute PhotoFlo and film hung, the squeegee is very
slowly passed down the film. Film dries fast with no
streaking. Not cheap. Mine is a Jobo but it is
available under other brand names. Dan

I too use photoflo. Quick dip and a bit of agitation for 30secs after washing.
You can tell when it needs replacing - the solution doesn't run off quite so quickly.
I've rewashed film with drying marks as Neal suggested, and film has come out great.

-Nanette

Ditto all what has been said. Use distilled water, unless your household supply is very clean and very soft. I use AC water I collect during the summer, filtered through a funnel with a coffee filter into the tank, with just a few drops of Photo-Flo. Also, after I hang the film up and there appear to be any "suds" on the film, I slosh my fingers in the Photo-Flo and use my index and second finger as a very gentle squeegy down the length of the film; this was taught me by the old lab rats from whom I learned much back in the late 1950s early 1960s. Usually, though, just very clean, soft water, and just a tad of wetting agent does the job nicely.
And, btw, they souped hundreds of neg strips (120 roll film) a week; and if I had ever suggested they hang those neg strips catty corner at an angle, I would have been poked with a glowing cigar butt for sure. Oh, and yes, those darkrooms were climate controlled so humidity was just where it should be for proper drying and absence of static electricity.
Oh, Arnold, I just noticed you are in Houston. I've been there, and I would bet money your tap water is part of the problem.

ozphoto said:

I too use photoflo. Quick dip and a bit of agitation for 30secs after washing.
You can tell when it needs replacing - the solution doesn't run off quite so quickly.
I've rewashed film with drying marks as Neal suggested, and film has come out great.

-Nanette

Click to expand...

Do you re-use your photo-flo solution? I have always dumped it.

I reuse it; Water is kinda precious here in Australia. As I said, once it stops running off, then I'll dump it and mix a new batch. I've still got a bottle of Agepon that I've had for ages - 1 capful to 1L works for me.

-Nanette

Welcome to the dark side.

'Nother Photo Flo user here. After my 5-10-20 rinse, I empty the final rinse, fell gently with water, add to drops of PF and swirl it around a few times to make sure that it gets most everywhere and allow the water to trickle through for about a minute before removing the film. Run my fingers down either side acting as a squeegee, once in each direction, then hang to dry. NO MOVING AIR. I have about ten rolls of negs I will need to clean before I print because I thought that moving air would help it to dry. Unless you have UBER-filtered air, don't turn on the exhaust fan when hanging film out to dry.

Christopher Walrath said:

Welcome to the dark side.

'Nother Photo Flo user here. After my 5-10-20 rinse, I empty the final rinse, fell gently with water, add to drops of PF and swirl it around a few times to make sure that it gets most everywhere and allow the water to trickle through for about a minute before removing the film. Run my fingers down either side acting as a squeegee, once in each direction, then hang to dry. NO MOVING AIR. I have about ten rolls of negs I will need to clean before I print because I thought that moving air would help it to dry. Unless you have UBER-filtered air, don't turn on the exhaust fan when hanging film out to dry.

Click to expand...

Just build a film drying cabinet.

Build a wood box large enough to handlef you typical load of film, with one side a door that opens, seal all joints with chalking, put weatherstripping around the door, so that it seals air tight, attach a heating coil from an old hair dryer and a small fan (can also be from an old hair dryer), get a small HEPA filter to go in front of the fan. Also get some filter material from a furnace or A/C filter. This goes in a similar sized opening near the top, on the same side as the fan. Add a small rod or bar near the top to hang the film clips on, a peice of stiff wire like a metal coat hanger would work well, mounted with a few screw eyes.

On the air intake, near the bottom, about 2½cm or 1 inch up from the bottom you have HEPA filter, fan, heater. Mount the switches so that the heater does not run if the fan isn't on, to keep the heater from over heating. This is typically by running both through the same switch, although you can put a second switch in the heater circuit only, so you can run the fan without the heater, but not the heater without the fan.

Film will dry quickly and dust free.