# Any way to keep drying negatives from curving?



## bhop (Dec 30, 2007)

I don't mean curling, like a roll, I mean curving along the length. (see below)  I tried putting some heavy books on them for a few days when I was out of town, but it didn't do anything.  When I do my scans, they need to be flat, but the center part of the negatives seem to be closer to the scanner bed and that's making a weird pattern in the middle.  You can't see it so much on web-sized images, but for pics I want to print out, it's noticeable.  Any thoughts?


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## Alpha (Dec 30, 2007)

Cut them down when they're stable enough, take your neg strips and bend them into a U-shape, with the curling side down, and dry them like that. It may help a bit.


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## kaiy (Dec 30, 2007)

What works for me is to cut down the negs and put them into a plastic sleeve page (I usually use the 7 strips of 5, but the 6 strips of 6 work too).

I then put the sleeves (I usually have 4 or 5 at a time) and put them in an archival print box, and then put a light, flat weight directly on top of the sleeves . I have a flat piece of  masonite, 8-1/2 x 11 (sealed with an acrylic sealer to avoid the outgassing of the board), and on top of that, a small book or few magazines. Don't use a heavy weight, it won't make the negatives any flatter. It isn't necessary and you might damage your negatives. In a few days, or longer, the negs are flat.


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## leopardforest (Dec 30, 2007)

It was never a problem for me with scanning them, but I was using a negative scanner at my college and I was not to worried at the time. 

How about rolling them the opposite way it was originally rolled?


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## Battou (Dec 31, 2007)

I don't see that particular type of curl too often with my negs (actually only with the Kodak now that I think about it, every thing else I use just rolls up) 

My question is what type of scanner are you using? I ask this because in my neg scans I find that not to be an issue and get no visable distortion at all.


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## bhop (Dec 31, 2007)

Battou said:


> I don't see that particular type of curl too often with my negs (actually only with the Kodak now that I think about it, every thing else I use just rolls up)
> 
> My question is what type of scanner are you using? I ask this because in my neg scans I find that not to be an issue and get no visable distortion at all.



It is Kodak film i'm using, Tmax 400.  My scanner is an Epson 4490.  I have been scanning emulsion down on a roll I developed yesterday and haven't noticed the pattern.  (the curve goes up instead of closer to the glass)

Here's an example of the pattern I'm talking about, this is a crop of the middle section, but notice horizontal across the center, it's kind of a wavy pattern that looks almost like woodgrain.


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## Battou (Dec 31, 2007)

I see it, The epson is a backlit flat bed, isn't it. I am using a Canon dedicated scanner. I think the reason I am not getting that is the negitive holder itself. It secures the neg on both sides top and bottom and holds it flatter I think maybe.

Here is one of my Kodak scans, the only thing done to this is a resize (I did not even remove some dust oops)


PB's being problematic I can't seem to get in tonight so I'll just link you to it on PL 
Larger copy here

*EDIT* Finally got into PB long enough to upload


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## PlasticSpanner (Jan 1, 2008)

These are similar to Newtons Rings, a common problem when using a glass holder in an enlarger.  I used to have the same problem until someone on here told me about it!

The simplist way to avoid it with a neg scanner is to load the negs emulsion side down (backwards) so they curl upwards away from the bed of the scanner, then flip them over in PP.


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## ully (Jan 4, 2008)

I have the same problems with lateral curl and I have the same scanner with the same results. I remember seeing something (cant remember where) that there are negative holders that hold the film flat. I think they are made with anit-Newton glass. My film is Plus X and Tri X.


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## bhop (Jan 10, 2008)

ully said:


> I have the same problems with lateral curl and I have the same scanner with the same results.



I have been putting my negatives upside down as PlasticSpanner suggested and haven't had anymore problems.  Just flip it in Photoshop and you're good to go.  Somehow this seems to keep them more flat as well, just make sure the top piece is snapped in tight on every tab.


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## usayit (Jan 11, 2008)

I dry them as normal, cut, and place them in their sleeves.  I then weigh them down under a book over night... usually flattens them nicely.

My negative holders secure the negatives pretty nicely.  I vague remember reading in the manuals that recommend mounting them backwards.


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