Why does fuji film curl and what to do about it?

1kgcoffee · Feb 23, 2018

Not sure if I am the only experiencing this, but when home processing fuji print and slide film, I get mad curling. This is mainly velvia in medium format and cn200 in 35mm. Even months under a heavy book stack will do little to tame the curl.

Wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem, and what they've done about it? I have used a humidifier in my normally dry place with no change. How do photolabs get perfectly flat results?

halfaman · Feb 23, 2018

The only Fuji film I use with some regularity is 400H and I haven't experienced any curling problems. I have always relate curling with the type of base material (polyester, triacetate, ...),

Sirius Glass · Feb 23, 2018

While it is drying hang a weight at the bottom. Humidity is your friend for film drying, run a steamy shower in the bathroom where the film is drying.

grainyvision · Feb 23, 2018

Are you sure this doesn't only happen with slide film? Every slide film I've tried has ridiculous amounts of curl, though I assumed that was because I was using some alternative process. However, when receiving slide film that's been cut from pro labs, it's always only slightly cupped, so apparently there is a way to eliminate the curl, probably drying it in a humid environment

1kgcoffee · Feb 23, 2018

Come to think of it the lone roll of pro 160ns I shot was fine. Acros seems normal. It makes sense that a thinner base of velvia would cause this.

Anon Ymous · Feb 24, 2018

1kgcoffee said:
Not sure if I am the only experiencing this, but when home processing fuji print and slide film, I get mad curling...

No, you're not exactly the only one. IME, Fuji's C41 films that I've home processed lately have a tendency to curl considerably, as opposed to Kodak's C41 films for example. The Agfaphoto Precisa CT100 (made by Fuji) that I've also home processed seems to behave similarly. It's not a huge problem, but I've noticed something that can make it seriously worse: cutting the film before it's totally dry. It might feel basically dry, but it's not. Every time I did so, I got some ugly curling, to the point where the film becomes a bit of a spring! And in cases like that, it's not just Fuji films... I usually process film at night and leave it to dry half a day or so hanging in the winter, summer temperatures dry films faster.

Putting the film under heavy books didn't make any difference for me. What made a difference and solved my problems was spooling the film in the same reels you use for processing, emulsion side out. Leave the film there for at least a day, the more the better. Also, the closer to the center of the reel, the better the effect, it puts the film under higher tension.

One other thing that can cause film to curl badly is too low humidity, but only you can tell if this causes your problems.

Alan Edward Klein · Feb 24, 2018

I get Velvia 50 (120) processed by labs in Xtol and they come back flat.

Mozg31337 · Feb 24, 2018

1kgcoffee said:
Come to think of it the lone roll of pro 160ns I shot was fine. Acros seems normal. It makes sense that a thinner base of velvia would cause this.

I have recently done 3 films, two HP5 and Acros 100. All film were processed in the same tank and dried identically . The HP5 is almost perfect, while Acros curls like there is no tomorrow!

Poisson Du Jour · Feb 24, 2018

All of my E6 is commercially processed, and not once (20+ years) have I experienced any film curl from any of the Fuji emulsions. The entire 35mm or 120 strip is sleeved and flat from the get-go. This experience is widely consistent with other users of Fuji products.

Some problems with curling have been experienced with Ilford's Pan F+ 50 and Rollei's awful CR200 E6 emulsion.

Persistent curling might be due to your processing methodology.

Sirius Glass · Feb 24, 2018

Mozg31337 said:
I have recently done 3 films, two HP5 and Acros 100. All film were processed in the same tank and dried identically . The HP5 is almost perfect, while Acros curls like there is no tomorrow!

Different films have different thicknesses, different materials, different curl characteristics.

Minoltafan2904 · Feb 25, 2018

i've noticed the same thing really, the Fuji i have shot tends to curl while the Kodaks don't.

Cholentpot · Feb 25, 2018

Lucky 400 SDH curls into a tube.

I don't have much love for this film.

markfitzgerald · Feb 25, 2018

I bought a bunch of ACROS 100 in 120 and it curled so bad I stopped using it and gave it away. I think they stopped making it, didn't they? It was wonderful in 4x5, however.

Poisson Du Jour · Feb 25, 2018

markfitzgerald said:
I think they stopped making it, didn't they? It was wonderful in 4x5, however.

There is uncertainty about the fate of ACROS 100 at this time. There are certainly continuing supply irregularities (holdups/no-shows/no-comms) with many street dealers holding indent orders ... waiting, and waiting and waiting... I have no ACROS 100 in my stock but do have an order for 10 rolls. That was placed last November...

I do not have anything to add about film curl; it hasn't been my experience with ACROS 100.

iakustov · Jul 23, 2021

Anon Ymous said:
Putting the film under heavy books didn't make any difference for me. What made a difference and solved my problems was spooling the film in the same reels you use for processing, emulsion side out. Leave the film there for at least a day, the more the better. Also, the closer to the center of the reel, the better the effect, it puts the film under higher tension.

Thanks for this tip!
I use glassless slide mounts for 35mm, Provia film curls badly (whereas Ektachrome is flat) which causes troubles during projection. I respooled the freshly developed and dried film as you said emulsion side out and two days later it was perfectly flat.
I tried the same with the 35mm rolls developed year ago, but the effect was not that good, I think I may need to make it wet, dry and respool again.

Radost · Jul 23, 2021

Minoltafan2904 said:
i've noticed the same thing really, the Fuji i have shot tends to curl while the Kodaks don't.

My Kodaks TX curls if I dont cut it after drying.

Anon Ymous · Jul 23, 2021

iakustov said:
Thanks for this tip!
I use glassless slide mounts for 35mm, Provia film curls badly (whereas Ektachrome is flat) which causes troubles during projection. I respooled the freshly developed and dried film as you said emulsion side out and two days later it was perfectly flat.
I tried the same with the 35mm rolls developed year ago, but the effect was not that good, I think I may need to make it wet, dry and respool again.

For the record, I've never reinserted wet film in the spirals, only dry, curly films. I once forgot a film for many days, perhaps weeks, and the original curl had gone, but now had a slight curl because it spent too much time in the spiral.

pentaxuser · Jul 23, 2021

Now we've moved to Acros II I have found that I can avoid it curling if I make sure that the sales assistant does not say the price out loud. I am convinced that it curls when it hears what its price now is .

Sorry couldn't resist it

pentaxuser

brbo · Jul 24, 2021

I just scanned a roll of Ektar and a roll of 400H that I developed in the same tank and hang to dry in the same manner. Ektar was perfectly flat, 400H with a noticeable arch. For me Portras are a bit worse than Ektar, but still better than Fuji negative films. I don't shoot much slide film these days but used to used it a lot before and none dried perfectly flat.

It does depend on the season/weather.

1kgcoffee · Jul 1, 2023

Anon Ymous said:
No, you're not exactly the only one. IME, Fuji's C41 films that I've home processed lately have a tendency to curl considerably, as opposed to Kodak's C41 films for example. The Agfaphoto Precisa CT100 (made by Fuji) that I've also home processed seems to behave similarly. It's not a huge problem, but I've noticed something that can make it seriously worse: cutting the film before it's totally dry. It might feel basically dry, but it's not. Every time I did so, I got some ugly curling, to the point where the film becomes a bit of a spring! And in cases like that, it's not just Fuji films... I usually process film at night and leave it to dry half a day or so hanging in the winter, summer temperatures dry films faster.

Putting the film under heavy books didn't make any difference for me. What made a difference and solved my problems was spooling the film in the same reels you use for processing, emulsion side out. Leave the film there for at least a day, the more the better. Also, the closer to the center of the reel, the better the effect, it puts the film under higher tension.

One other thing that can cause film to curl badly is too low humidity, but only you can tell if this causes your problems.

Ive had great success recently with this technique. Thankyou.

Sirius Glass · Jul 1, 2023

I too have the film dry for 24 hours with a weighted hanging clip before I cut negatives into strips.

Anon Ymous · Jul 2, 2023

1kgcoffee said:
Ive had great success recently with this technique. Thankyou.

You're welcome, glad it worked fine.

BMbikerider · Jul 2, 2023

I only very rarely do I get any form of film curl, be it Kodak, Fuji, or Ilford. However Foma 200 is a bit of a nuisance because it will tend to curl lengthwise and sometimes across the width. I read the post about humidity may be the answer and perhaps because I dry my films in the kitchen where the humidity will be higher (cooking, washing machine. tumble drier etc) but I have never given it any thought because I don't have a problem. My negatives also lie perfectly flat in the enlarger too, so I guess I am just lucky.

The drying process is something I don't rush and will leave a film hanging overnight if I have to which may help.

Looking at it another way. The plastic base of the film 35mmand 120 is quite thin and it will absorb practically no moisture during the developing stage. It is the emulsion side that takes on water and the emulsions swell. So when they dry them if the drying is to rigorous the emulsion, thin as it is will actually contract slightly and create a curl with the emulsion inside the curl. You never ever get a film to curl with the emulsion side facing outwards. Think about it.

With 5x4 and larger sheet film, the base is much thicker so will be more resistant to the emulsion 'over drying' and pulling it out of shape.

summicron1 · Jul 2, 2023

Ilford doesn’t curl but when I shoot Kodak tri X it does. After it dries I roll it up in a tight roll with the emulsion side out, against the curl, and wait a day. Then it stays flat. I live in Utah where the humidity is very low.

Why does fuji film curl and what to do about it?

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