Tmax 100 and 400 extreme curling!

[Compaq]

Hi!

I don't usually shoot Tmax films, but I had a couple lying around. After development and drying, they have curled quite a bit! So much, in fact, that it is difficult to place them in the negative holder for scanning! Has anyone else experienced this with Tmax? It does not happen at all with the Ilford FP4+, or any of the Deltas I have shot. I also feel that the Tmax base material is much stiffer than the FP4+ base. Might this have anything to do with the curling?

 

[gsgary]

Yes some films are bad for curling I have some very curly tmax 100, not Ilford thats one of the great things about fp4/hp5

 

[webestang64]

Film will curl in low humidity when drying. Tri-X is the worst.

 

[limr]

Yup, Tri-X curls horribly. It's one thing I definitely like better about HP5.

I find with the Kodak b&w that you have to keep them under some heavy books for a day or so before scanning.

 

[PWhite214]

So one good thing about living on the Texas Gulf Coast, low humidity almost never happens.
I do have troubles scanning 120 film with the stock film holders. The 120 wouldn't stay flat. I ordered the Lomograpgy Z361 DigitalLIZA 120 Film Scanning Mask, made a huge difference. The negatives stay flat.

Phil

 

[timor]

Are you talking about 135 or120 Tmax ? I am shooting quite a bit of Tmax and never had problems with curl. But the problem is not in the base but in gelatine and drying conditions. Base is impervious to water, shrinking of gelatine is causing the curl. Maybe you are washing to long, maybe you are drying to hot or to rapidly. Maybe you are using photo flo. Try different methods to find out, what the best in your situation.

 

[limr]

Sorry, this has to be done.

Extreme curling:

 

[gsgary]

Are you talking about 135 or120 Tmax ? I am shooting quite a bit of Tmax and never had problems with curl. But the problem is not in the base but in gelatine and drying conditions. Base is impervious to water, shrinking of gelatine is causing the curl. Maybe you are washing to long, maybe you are drying to hot or to rapidly. Maybe you are using photo flo. Try different methods to find out, what the best in your situation.

Don't forget most of mine have been rolled for about 30 years[emoji3]

 

[Compaq]

Perhaps I should specify: The film does not curl the same way it is stored on the spool, but it "bulges" like a barrel. My scanned images exhibit barrel distortion due to the bulging.

 

[gsgary]

Perhaps I should specify: The film does not curl the same way it is stored on the spool, but it "bulges" like a barrel. My scanned images exhibit barrel distortion due to the bulging.

You can get special glass for your scanner that will flatten it

 

[timor]

Perhaps I should specify: The film does not curl the same way it is stored on the spool, but it "bulges" like a barrel. My scanned images exhibit barrel distortion due to the bulging.

Oh boy, that's really bad, never seen this with mine. But by "curling" I understood exactly that. This problem is inherent to roll film from the very beginning (of roll film). First manufacturers counter this "bulging" by covering the other side of the film with "empty" emulsion (no silver halides ). Or your Tmax was stored for too long too warm or you have bad drying conditions. Try room with higher humidity or cooler or use as the last wash (no photo flo) some alcohol like isopropyl (30 - 45 sec., enough to repeal water from emulsion). Alcohol is softer, than water, emulsion dries differently. Also limit wash in water to 12 -15 min at 22C. And let see.

 

[webestang64]

Perhaps I should specify: The film does not curl the same way it is stored on the spool, but it "bulges" like a barrel. My scanned images exhibit barrel distortion due to the bulging.

Low humidity during drying.