Prewarming film emulsion

Recently, while inquiring about E-6 kits at my local camera store, one of
the co-owners (brothers) described one of the kits, Tetenal, I think.
Reading from a product description, he said that particular kit required one
to "prewarm" the emulsion, presumably using warm water at 104 degress
Fahrenheit.

This got me to thinking: Could one use a similar approach with B&W? While
I'm not sure how it would affect development times, softening the emulsion
may enable the developer to do its work. (However, I should note that it's
been some time since I developed ANY film.)

Dieter Zakas
--
Good, better, best; never let it rest, until your good is better and your
better is best. (Billy Cox)

On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 21:06:15 -0600, Dieter Zakas
wrote:

Recently, while inquiring about E-6 kits at my local camera store, one of
the co-owners (brothers) described one of the kits, Tetenal, I think.
Reading from a product description, he said that particular kit required
one
to "prewarm" the emulsion, presumably using warm water at 104 degress
Fahrenheit.
This got me to thinking: Could one use a similar approach with B&W? While
I'm not sure how it would affect development times, softening the
emulsion may enable the developer to do its work. (However, I should
note that it's been some time since I developed ANY film.)

Most if not all manufacturers recommend that you do not "prewet" the films
prior to development as the water in the emulsion may impede develoment
progress and uneven development is theoretically possible. Note that I've
never heard of such a case. The other reason that don't recommend the
practice is that the rinse tends to rinse out the wetting agent that is
included in the film.

--

Regards,

John S. Douglas, Photographer & Webmaster
http://www.puresilver.org - http://www.legacy-photo.com

John spake thus:

On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 21:06:15 -0600, Dieter Zakas
wrote:

Recently, while inquiring about E-6 kits at my local camera store, one of
the co-owners (brothers) described one of the kits, Tetenal, I think.
Reading from a product description, he said that particular kit
required one
to "prewarm" the emulsion, presumably using warm water at 104 degress
Fahrenheit.
This got me to thinking: Could one use a similar approach with B&W?
While I'm not sure how it would affect development times, softening
the emulsion may enable the developer to do its work. (However, I
should note that it's been some time since I developed ANY film.)

Most if not all manufacturers recommend that you do not "prewet" the
films prior to development as the water in the emulsion may impede
develoment progress and uneven development is theoretically possible.
Note that I've never heard of such a case. The other reason that don't
recommend the practice is that the rinse tends to rinse out the wetting
agent that is included in the film.

So what difference would that make? Once the film is wet, why would you
need wetting agent?


--
.... asked to comment on Michigan governor George Romney's remark that
the army had "brainwashed" him in Vietnam—-a remark which knocked Romney
out of the running for the Republican nomination—-McCarthy quipped,
"I think in that case a light rinse would have been sufficient."

(Eugene McCarthy, onetime candidate for POTUS)

David Nebenzahl wrote:

So what difference would that make? Once the
film is wet, why would you need wetting agent?


The instructions could read; " Pre-wet or not as
you damn well please." That being the case anyhow.
Perhaps it's a left-over selling point which used to
read, "no pre-wetting required".
There are some left overs and some that should
have been left over. Dan

spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

So what difference would that make? Once the film is wet, why would
you need wetting agent?

The instructions could read; " Pre-wet or not as
you damn well please." That being the case anyhow.
Perhaps it's a left-over selling point which used to
read, "no pre-wetting required".
There are some left overs and some that should
have been left over. Dan

Well, it does no harm, so I do it. Worst effect is possibly a little
wasted time.


--
.... asked to comment on Michigan governor George Romney's remark that
the army had "brainwashed" him in Vietnam—-a remark which knocked Romney
out of the running for the Republican nomination—-McCarthy quipped,
"I think in that case a light rinse would have been sufficient."

(Eugene McCarthy, onetime candidate for POTUS)

David Nebenzahl wrote:

spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

So what difference would that make? Once the film is wet, why would
you need wetting agent?


The instructions could read; " Pre-wet or not as
you damn well please." That being the case anyhow.
Perhaps it's a left-over selling point which used to
read, "no pre-wetting required".
There are some left overs and some that should
have been left over. Dan


Well, it does no harm, so I do it. Worst effect is possibly a little
wasted time.



Prewetting causes developer dilution, especially if you are processing with
critical quantity of developer. Kodak C-41 process does not suggest prewetting.

In article op.s0t09xxpuvfup0@jd, John wrote:

The other reason that don't recommend the
practice is that the rinse tends to rinse out the wetting agent that is
included in the film.

If that's the case how would the other three solutions fail to wash out
the wetting agent/ or do you mean there is wetting agent incorporated
to make the initial developer evenly coat the film? Btw I have never
added wetting agent to any film prior to the final rinse.
--
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

www.gregblankphoto(dot)com

On Sat, 26 Nov 2005 06:50:36 -0600, Gregory Blank
wrote:

In article op.s0t09xxpuvfup0@jd, John wrote:

The other reason that don't recommend the
practice is that the rinse tends to rinse out the wetting agent that is
included in the film.

If that's the case how would the other three solutions fail to wash out
the wetting agent/ or do you mean there is wetting agent incorporated
to make the initial developer evenly coat the film?

I believe that it is included in the emulsion during the coating.

--

Regards,

John S. Douglas, Photographer & Webmaster
http://www.puresilver.org - http://www.legacy-photo.com

On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 23:23:47 -0600, John
wrote:

Most if not all manufacturers recommend that you do not "prewet" the films
prior to development as the water in the emulsion may impede develoment
progress and uneven development is theoretically possible. Note that I've
never heard of such a case. The other reason that don't recommend the
practice is that the rinse tends to rinse out the wetting agent that is
included in the film.


November 26, 2005, from Lloyd Erlick,

And here I've been pre-soaking my film before
the developer for lo these many years ... oh,
well, wrong again.

regards,
--le
________________________________
Lloyd Erlick Portraits, Toronto.
voice: 416-686-0326
email:
net: www.heylloyd.com
________________________________
--

Lloyd Erlick spake thus:

On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 23:23:47 -0600, John
wrote:

Most if not all manufacturers recommend that you do not "prewet"
the films prior to development as the water in the emulsion may
impede develoment progress and uneven development is theoretically
possible. Note that I've never heard of such a case. The other
reason that don't recommend the practice is that the rinse tends to
rinse out the wetting agent that is included in the film.

And here I've been pre-soaking my film before the developer for lo
these many years ... oh, well, wrong again.

I wouldn't say "wrong"; it's hard to see how a presoak could have any
ill effects, like uneven development. Seems to me it would have quite
the opposite effect, as the emulsion is thoroughly wet and the chemistry
can more easily diffuse through it. Wonder what Richard K. has to say
about this.


--
.... asked to comment on Michigan governor George Romney's remark that
the army had "brainwashed" him in Vietnam—-a remark which knocked Romney
out of the running for the Republican nomination—-McCarthy quipped,
"I think in that case a light rinse would have been sufficient."

(Eugene McCarthy, onetime candidate for POTUS)