Do you rinse your film before developing?

[Grandpa Ron]

When I load film into the developing tank. I usually rinse it with water prior to adding developer.

I started to do this to make sure the film was well wetted when I added the developer but I discovered that it removes the green dye used in the film making process. I usually do several films at a time. My last session was a roll of 127 format and 120 format in a small Yankee tank and 5 sheets of 4x5 cut film in a large Yankee tank.

I mixed up a half gallon stock of 1:50 Rodinol to do all three batches of film and did not think it a good idea to pour green colored developer back into the developer stock; so I rinsed the film for 2 minutes in the developer tank with water to remove most of the green dye. All the films developed nicely.

I was curious if others rinse their film, or do they do batch after batch with increasing green colored developer?

 

[480sparky]

I do, but with water. I don't re-use any developer.

 

[webestang64]

I for sure pre-wash before development. Even so some films will still turn the developer a touch green but I use my D-76 till I've processed 20-25 rolls, green or not and have not noticed any problems.

 

[Derrel]

I have used a pre-rinse before on certain film stocks, but on common films like Tri-X, I never felt it was necessary. I believe that on certain films which have a certain type of anti halation backing, a pre-rinse is recommended. I seem to remember some film from the 1980s which turned the pre-rinse water a purplish color, but that was so long ago that perhaps my memory is not accurate.

I used to work evening shifts at my University Daily newspaper, and it was fairly common to develop three or four tanks full every shift. The tanks were four-roll tanks.

 

[IanG]

Only time I use a pre-rinse is with colour films, never with B&W and that's never been an issue.

Derrel, some films still turn developer or a pre-rinse a deep colour, when I used replenished Xtol it would turn all sorts of colours but these were anti halation dyes and broke down.

Ian

 

[ac12]

The only time that I remember doing a pre-rinse was with FAST developers, like low dilution (high concentration) HC-110, where the development time was less than 4 minutes. But that was a LONG time ago.

 

[jcdeboever]

I don't with B & W. I did a lot of testing when I started out, took a lot of notes. Never seemed to ever make a difference. I one shot my developer. I read it both ways so I experienced both to see if it was necessary. With my method and water, no difference was noted.