Which should I use? Powder-free, Nitrile gloves or white, lint-free gloves?

Richard1985 · Feb 5, 2020

Hello,

I'm not sure this thread is in the correct forum but here goes...

I'm facing a dilemma, I cannot decide whether to use powder-free, Nitrile gloves or white, lint-free gloves to handle film.

Can anyone please advise me on which pair is best? More importantly, can they please explain why the type of glove is best for handling film?

The 'official recommendation' has been to wear white cotton gloves. Why is this?

I have been using the thicker, white, lint-free pair for the past month but was this the correct decision? If so, why?

I look forward to reading feedback.

Thank you.

MattKing · Feb 5, 2020

The "official" recommendation was probably created before nitrile gloves even existed.
The choice used to be between heavy latex gloves and white cotton gloves, and between those choices, the cotton gloves were better.
The white gloves are softer. It may be that they would be preferable if your materials were fragile, but modern materials are quite robust.
I recommend nitrile, because they give a much more accurate "feel".

Andrew O'Neill · Feb 5, 2020

I used to use lint free cotton gloves. Now I use cheap latex gloves.

StepheKoontz · Feb 5, 2020

I like the white cotton gloves for dry film, Nitrile for wet film.

Maris · Feb 5, 2020

There is also a case for not using gloves when handling film. Bare fingers are much more adroit and sensitive so the chance of a damaging touch to film is less. Way back last century I went to photo-school and was taught some rules:
Handle film by edges only BUT
Clean dry skin can lightly touch dry film emulsion without damage AND
Completely wet skin can lightly touch completely wet film emulsion without damage.
It's when wet meets dry that fingerprints are pretty well certain. Dexterity comes with practice.

tezzasmall · Feb 6, 2020

I use nothing but my hands to load films in cameras or reels.

I wear latex gloves when in contact with chemicals, wet or dry.

And I use lint free gloves when handling dry, processed film and sometimes paper. This all depends upon the weather, humidity etc. which can make my hands sweat.

Terry S

Sauer · Feb 6, 2020

I use nitrile gloves for most of my handling needs but I wash them with soap and water after putting them on to remove any residue or mold release left over from manufacturing.

Alan Edward Klein · Feb 6, 2020

StepheKoontz said:
I like the white cotton gloves for dry film, Nitrile for wet film.

Steve, Why white cotton gloves for dry?

Alan Edward Klein · Feb 6, 2020

Maris said:
There is also a case for not using gloves when handling film. Bare fingers are much more adroit and sensitive so the chance of a damaging touch to film is less. Way back last century I went to photo-school and was taught some rules:
Handle film by edges only BUT
Clean dry skin can lightly touch dry film emulsion without damage AND
Completely wet skin can lightly touch completely wet film emulsion without damage.
It's when wet meets dry that fingerprints are pretty well certain. Dexterity comes with practice.

Maris: I've read that washing your hands with a dishwashing soap is good for getting your hands free of any natural oils is good too. What do you think?

Alan Edward Klein · Feb 6, 2020

I just started to shoot 4x5 and have to load the film sheet holders in a light-free tent. I tried cotton gloves and nitrile and found I couldn't feel very good. So I switched to nothing and would up touching more of the film's emulsion side than I wanted with my bare fingers. Don;t know if I damaged anything because I haven't shot it yet.

CropDusterMan · Feb 6, 2020

Not sure if they are available in the UK, but here in the US, I use Diamond Grip MicroFlex gloves that
are non-powdered Latex. I have no allergy issues with Latex mind you, but they have great dexterity,
and feel pretty much like bare hands. I do precision aircraft maintenance wearing them too. They are
surgery quality.

J

Ariston · Feb 6, 2020

Count me as another person who uses nothing but his bare hands. I've never had an issue.

monst · Feb 6, 2020

Probably nitrile ones for wet use and cotton for dry use.

Alan Edward Klein · Feb 6, 2020

monst said:
Probably nitrile ones for wet use and cotton for dry use.

Why cotton and not nitrile for dry use?

GLS · Feb 6, 2020

I use good quality cotton gloves for handling dry film for scanning etc, as they enable me to swipe fingers smoothly down the film to remove bulk dust.

I use Kimtech disposable nitrile gloves when loading film reels (to prevent perspiration causing binding) and during development. I do not re-use them, as I can get them cheaply via work:

https://www.fishersci.co.uk/shop/products/disposable-ambidextrous-nitrile-gloves/p-8000650

Doremus Scudder · Feb 6, 2020

I've never used anything to handle dry film or negatives with (with one exception, see below); just clean bare hands and touching only the edges of the film. If you can't load filmholders without getting fingerprints on the emulsion, you need to practice more with a scrap sheet or two till you get the hang of it. I never have fingerprints. Negatives with dust get puffs of air from a bulb-blower or, if really needed, a swipe from a very soft camel's hair brush (I like the big collapsible make-up brushes for this). In extreme cases, I'll clean a negative with a clean microfiber cloth.

I develop film in trays with nitrile gloves since I use PMK, which is toxic. Earlier I developed using bare hands in D-76 and HC-110, etc. When developing, I do unload the film from the holders with my nitrile gloves on. It's just a bit harder than without gloves, but so much easier to don the gloves before I turn out the lights. Once I did get a bunch of defects from not noticing a hole in a glove. I didn't change gloves between batches, just washed and dried them, but carried over contaminants from inside the glove seeped out the pinhole onto the dry negatives before development and left marks. I'm more careful about this now and change gloves more often.

I use lint-free cotton gloves when handling finished prints. After toning and drying, nothing touches the prints except my cotton-gloved hands. I wear these through the entire mounting process and have a ZipLoc full of cotton gloves that I bring with me for others to use during presentations and print viewings.

Best,

Doremus

faberryman · Feb 6, 2020

Gloves?

foc · Feb 6, 2020

Maris said:
There is also a case for not using gloves when handling film. Bare fingers are much more adroit and sensitive so the chance of a damaging touch to film is less. Way back last century I went to photo-school and was taught some rules:
Handle film by edges only BUT
Clean dry skin can lightly touch dry film emulsion without damage AND
Completely wet skin can lightly touch completely wet film emulsion without damage.
It's when wet meets dry that fingerprints are pretty well certain. Dexterity comes with practice.

+1
Exactly what I was taught and what I have practised, for more years than I care to remember.

Alan Edward Klein · Feb 6, 2020

foc said:
+1
Exactly what I was taught and what I have practised, for more years than I care to remember.

So how do you clean your hands before touching the film?

monst · Feb 7, 2020

Alan Edward Klein said:
Why cotton and not nitrile for dry use?

It just seems a good idea to use gloves that are waterproof for wet use and gloves that aren't waterproof for dry use. You can use waterproof gloves for dry and wet use i would have thought. Overthinking is a wonderful thing!

foc · Feb 7, 2020

Alan Edward Klein said:
So how do you clean your hands before touching the film?

Soap and water and a good rinse in warm water. Then dry your hand and then wait until they are fully dry.
A simple test is to rub the palm of your hands together and then your thumb between your fingers. If all is smooth then you are good to go.
Years ago when I was told this I didn't believe it. So I used to keep a developed blank 12 exp of 35mm film and I would touch it with my fingers to see if it left finger prints. Clean dry hands and fingers don't.

Doremus Scudder · Feb 7, 2020

raizans said:
The Library of Congress recommends nitrile gloves for handling film (motion picture film is the same):

Have clean hands and use a new pair of nitrile gloves (using clean cotton gloves is better than having fingerprints on the film, but cotton fibers are abrasive and can scratch the emulsion)
https://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/film.html

For touching the emulsion of the film, nitrile is indeed best, if you have to. We "bare-handers" take care to handle the film by the edges only. I never touch the image-containing part of the film with my fingers; ever. I don't really understand how people can get a fingerprint in the middle of a 4x5 sheet if they are being careful.

Many cotton gloves will indeed scratch emulsion on both paper and film (don't ask me how I know...). You have to be careful with them as well. I use them mostly to keep skin oil off of the mat boards.

Doremus

scheimfluger_77 · Feb 7, 2020

I find the nitrile gloves actually enhance my dexterity, particularly when handling sheets by the edge only. This also seems to be true handling paper in the wet portion of the process. I wear them pretty much full time when in the darkroom. I use the cotton ones for handling processed and dried negatives.

walter123 · Jun 7, 2020

I use nitrile gloves because it is flexible and skillful

guangong · Jun 8, 2020

Maris said:
There is also a case for not using gloves when handling film. Bare fingers are much more adroit and sensitive so the chance of a damaging touch to film is less. Way back last century I went to photo-school and was taught some rules:
Handle film by edges only BUT
Clean dry skin can lightly touch dry film emulsion without damage AND
Completely wet skin can lightly touch completely wet film emulsion without damage.
It's when wet meets dry that fingerprints are pretty well certain. Dexterity comes with practice.

This is also my general practice. Having been taught how to safely use chemicals when I was a kid, never had a problem. Now, because dry, slippery skin comes with age, I use nitrile or latex gloves when working with glass, plastic and metal items, wet or dry, when processing for their non-slip capability.

Which should I use? Powder-free, Nitrile gloves or white, lint-free gloves?

Richard1985

MattKing

Moderator

Andrew O'Neill

Moderator

StepheKoontz

Maris

tezzasmall

Sauer

Alan Edward Klein

Alan Edward Klein

Alan Edward Klein

CropDusterMan

Ariston

monst

Alan Edward Klein

GLS

Doremus Scudder

faberryman

foc

Alan Edward Klein

monst

foc

Doremus Scudder

scheimfluger_77

walter123

guangong

Which should I use? Powder-free, Nitrile gloves or white, lint-free gloves?

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