Re: Back to the black spot issue

["Don Bryant" <dsbryant@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Heather,


> Hi All!
> Until this recent thread I had not run into an issue with these spots.

I think you have three choices:

Since you are scanning the negs you can retouch the black spots digitally
and print the image to file or to paper. If you print to file you can have a
new negative made (with a new set of imperfections :-) ).

If you want to print the defective negative in the darkroom you can bleach
the spot white on the print and then retouch with spot tone. I've bleached
spots as large as a couple of match heads and then retouched them with spot
tone and I can't even tell where I've done the retouching. And this is with
either warm or cold toned papers, toned and untoned. Since HIE is grainy
this is easy to get away with.

But if you want to avoid bleaching each print then you can opaque the spots
on film (very difficult in 35mm format but doable). When you do this you
will still have to spot the white spots on the prints but it may save you
time with the bleaching.

The lab didn't do anything wrong. The black spots are a defect in the
manufacturing of the film. This problem has been discussed ad nauseam here
on the list and I'm sure your post will start yet another round of whining
from the usual suspects who like to do so about this problem.

Sorry, I wish I could give a more reasonable solution but I don't know of
any. Perhaps someone else can suggest an easier method for eliminating or
dealing with this problem.

Frankly I think that if you are going to print negatives in the traditional
manner you need to expect to have to spot and retouch film and or paper as
the need arises. It isn't fun but it is a necessary skill required to
produce a top notch print. Just be thankful that you don't shoot sheet film!
:-)


Good luck,

Don Bryant

*
****
*******
******************************************************
*  To remove yourself from this list, send:          *
*         UNSUBSCRIBE INFRARED                       *
*       to                                           *
*         MAJORDOMO@xxxxx                            *
*----------------------------------------------------*
*   For the IR-FAQ, IR-Gallery and heaps of links:   *
*  http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mainpage.htm  *
******************************************************