Storing processed film

[MikeHeller]

Just to muddy the waters, I have found that the negative strips can stick in the clear file pages and no longer use them and will get around to remove any negatives still in them sometime!! I contact all my negatives using Paterson Contact Printer. I have had my 35mm one since the 60's when the plate was glass!
Mike

[LukeS]

Thank you to everyone for your advice it appears that the way forward for myself would be clear sheets. Although I do not understand much about film photography as yet for example contact printing (I am assuming this is undertaken using an enlarger?) It appears that many of you have had great success with clear sheets. Once again thank you to everyone who has helped me in this particular venture

[Richard Gould]

Hi Luke, making a contact gives you an idea of what the negatives look like as small prints, you put the strips of negatives, in your clear negative bags if you are using them, or lay them out if using an acetate sheet, in contact with a sheet of printing paper, expose the sheet to light, normally under the enlarger, but you can use another light source, then develop,stop and fix in the normal way, then you can see what is on the negatives and decide more easily what you want to print, I do this with 35mm, but don't bother with MF negatives as I can easily see what is on them
Richard

[Svend]

Luke - back to storage for a moment... This probably goes without saying, but you should always store your negs in a dry place. Try not to keep them in a damp basement or cellar.

As for getting Print File or similar sleeves, you might consider ordering from the big New York photo stores if you can't find them locally for a good price. Their shipping rates to the UK are surprisingly cheap. They ship to me in Canada for peanuts, and it's here in 2 days, pre-cleared through Customs. Great service. Check out B+H Photo and Adorama. Their selection is huge for all things film.

Cheers,
Svend

[Alan Clark]

It seems I was wrong when I said that polyester negative sleeves are four times the price of glassene. Printfile negative sleeves seem to have come down in price and are available from Process Suplies (one of our sponsors) for about £27 per hundred. You can get 100 glassene for about twenty quid, so not much difference. But glassene are available in smaller quantities, if you just want to get started without spending a lot of money.

Alan

[Svend]

Good point Alan. One should always shop locally if at all possible and support your local merchants. This with the usual caveats of course -- fair pricing, good service, product availability, etc.... I do the same and shop at a Downtown Camera in Toronto (a great place that still supports the film community here). But when they don't have what I need or I just can't get there because of lack of time, I look to New York or elsewhere in Canada (Argentix.ca) and buy online.

Sorry -- I didn't mean to imply that one should not patronize local shops, especially if they provide support here to FADU.

Svend

[LukeS]

Thanks alot Richard I now understand the purpose of making a contact which makes sense and is something I look forward to when I finally get around to researching enlarger more haha. And thank you alot Seend and Alan I will first look to see what Process Supplies has to offer seen as they sponsor the fpurum and will make sure to keep them dry when I get around to finally developing film

[photomi7ch]

You do not need an enlarger to make contact prints. Just to muddy the water