c41 question

[Xpres]

I was processing a couple of c41 120 rolls yesterday that I had to wrestle with as they unravelled themselves in the dev. So I turned on white light after the fix to examine the mess and was surprised that the negs still appeared to have what looked like the cloudy backing on one side, even after the wash. They were fine once dried.
Is this normal? I process everything in the dark and its the first time I've looked at colour film before it dries.

[Lostlabours]

It's quite normal. Remember that 120 films have an anti curl coating on the back this makes them appear more opaque when wet.

Ian

[Xpres]

Thank you Ian, that explains it.

[JOReynolds]

...the negs still appeared to have what looked like the cloudy backing on one side, even after the wash. They were fine once dried.
In the Kodak chromogenic system, the colour image is created when by-products of development react with dye couplers to form dyes. The silver halide crystals (sensitised to red, green and blue light) are bound to the appropriate dye couplers (producing cyan, magenta and yellow dyes respectively) in resinous globules. When dry, these have the same refractive index as gelatine, so the film appears clear. But when wet, the globules refract differently and give the film a cloudy appearance, like fat globules suspended in diluted milk.