Film Handling
Foreword
Although it might seem obvious and simple, to be able to correctly handle a reel of film is neither easy nor obvious. A great care must be paid under all circumstances so that an incorrect handling does not harm the film, by producing all sort of physical damages.
This is true under any working condition, within a laboratory, or an archive, whenever handling archival or new film materials. However, it is particularly true when we refer to handling archival films. Quite often, archival films suffer of all sort of damages produced by the time or by an incorrect processing or storage. They can be brittle or extremely fragile, or shrunk; they might on nitrate base, which is highly flammable. They can suffer different forms of deterioration, so that their emulsion can peel off, or having become so sticky that rewinding the reel can produce severe damages. Even the cans where they are stored can have deteriorated, or being rusty, so that the supposedly easy procedure of opening the can, can be really a hard task. Nevertheless, cans often contain information that can be essential to the work of identification of the film or the element. A correct handling means also to be able to record all the information that might be useful.
However, most importantly, we must always keep in mind that whatever piece of film we must take in our hands, unwind and inspect on a bench or simply putting into a new can, might be unique, and if we handle it incorrectly or carelessly, we might produce damages that sometimes cannot be repaired.
Working Conditions
Film is far from indestructible and quite apart from the fact that all film decays in some way or another over time; all film is of such a delicate structure that any handling introduces defects. If a film is wound once from end to end, some damage will be done and this will cause some effect on the image. Fine scratches from transport systems and wound in dust particles, pressed in dust and dirt from the pressure of the windings, fingerprints, all contribute to the eventual degradation of the image on film.
Film can be printed more than 100 times in the best conditions before the
resulting print need be unacceptable [depending on what you believe is
unacceptable]. There are various treatments that can counteract some of these
effects, but the primary responsibility in a laboratory is to maintain the
conditions such that all risk of film damage is at a
minimum.
Every part of a film handling area must be as clean as is practicable. Minute particles of dirt in the air around us, which, small as they are, when attached to the surfaces of film, can be seen on the screen. Our hands are not clean - the natural greases of the skin can leave marks on film surfaces; therefore make it a habit never to touch the picture and/or sound-track areas of any film in any handling of it. Hold the film only by the edges and in certain circumstances wear cotton gloves. Every part of work tops of benches and any area or machinery involved with film should be wiped down regularly with a lint free cloth dampened with a little isopropyl alcohol Under no circumstances should eating or drinking or smoking be permitted near film so as to avoid damaging it, [quite apart from the risk of fire with nitrate film]. All these actions create dust.
The ideal film handling area is one in which the incoming air supply is filtered to remove all particles down to 5 microns, is fully air conditioned to provide the operator with conditions that keep him cool, calm and collected and reduce the risk of sweaty hands, and has a "positive" pressure. Positive pressure in an area is achieved by extracting from the room a lower air volume in a given time than that provided to the area. This creates a higher pressure in the area than in the adjacent rooms and the extra air finds its way out through doors or window cracks so that no dust can enter from the world outside against this constant draft. The area for this need be no larger than is necessary [as they can be expensive to build] and they should be designed by an experienced air-conditioning engineer who fully understands the principle. These areas, often called clean areas or clean zones, are similar to areas designed for manufacturing integrated circuits or medical operating theatres. They must be operated in a particular manner [no open windows, air flow to operate at all times, the right choice of cleaning equipment and so on] in order to be effective and the adjacent areas of lower pressure sometimes need as much careful design to retain the effectiveness of the clean area.
Once a clean area has been built it may take some days or even weeks [depending on it's size] for the air flow to clean the area thoroughly. Once this has occurred, and provided a proper regime has been adopted, the area can be self-cleaning in terms of dust.
Some ultra-clean areas used for the manufacture of some electronic parts are so clean that the operator must where a "space suit" to maintain the clean conditions. In film handling it is not really known to what extent the cleanliness level affects the final film quality. Except that some of the most modern facilities maintained under very stringent rules, [overshoes, hair in hats or bags, nylon over clothes with elastic at wrist and ankle, and positive pressure with filtered air, and so on] have demonstrated that they can produce clean, dust and sparkle free film images to an extent not seen before.
First Step: Opening the can
Recording the information
Second Step: Putting the film in a new can
Which can?
The equipments
The core
Winding
Measuring the film
Film Wrapping
Marking the film
Damages you can produce on film