When you are workng out your E.I. What should the writing on the edge of the film look like?

[rpavich]

yesterday i was shooting HP5 and adjusting the film speed to get a max black at min time print and a thought just occurred to me, what should the film markings look like on a contact print? Perfect white?
Does it indicate an issue if they are dingy grey?

 

[MattKing]

IME the writing in the film rebate isn't particularly reliable as an indicator - at least standing on its own. It tends to vary a bit even when your exposure and development are consistent.
The rebate writing is exposed at the time of film manufacture. If you (or the manufacturer) expose film at one time, and than wait a long time to develop it, the latent image will degrade over time. Some films suffer more from this than others, and storage conditions play a role as well.
I can recall at least one occasion in the past few years when Ilford/Harman were having some problems with the machine that exposed the rebate images. That sort of inconsistency is rare, but not impossible.
The edge writing is a better indicator if you are comparing two films from the same batch exposed and developed by you at times close to each other. Changes in the density might be indications of inconsistency in your procedures.
By the way, I'm assuming you mean HP5 Plus, because HP5 film would be very old.

 

[rpavich]

Thanks Matt,

Yes, I mean HP5+.

What's the difference between edge writing and rebate writing?

 

[Mr Bill]

Like Matt says. It's just not anything you can rely on. Another factor that he didn't mention is the contrast of the specific paper you are using.

What's the difference between edge writing and rebate writing?

Just different words for the same thing. Where I come from we always referred to it as edgeprint. I never use the term "rebate" in this respect - it always makes me think of getting some money back from the maker (mail in this coupon with your receipt and get an X dollar rebate).

 

[rpavich]

Ok, thanks guys...that's what I was wondering; if there were some significance to it to indicate issues or not.

 

[Arklatexian]

yesterday i was shooting HP5 and adjusting the film speed to get a max black at min time print and a thought just occurred to me, what should the film markings look like on a contact print? Perfect white?
Does it indicate an issue if they are dingy grey?

Never felt those markings were good for anything other than, maybe, what film it was and sometimes frame number. If film was developed on any sort of "reel", that part of the film was in contact with the reel limiting the amount of developer touching that part of the film. Just paid attention to what was in the "useable" part of the negatives. I don't think it has anything to do with opinion either.....Regards!

 

[Sirius Glass]

I use the term rebate and I have not ever printed the rebate dating back to 1958.

 

[ic-racer]

You might be better off to place the zone 1 negative over your meter and see that it drops the reading 1/3 stop.