AboutEric C. M. Basir Expertise I can assist you with information and suggestions for scanning, color correcting and manipulating images for print and electronic press.
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I recently took my predeveloped film to Walgreens to have them digitalize the pictures. I got my film back in a pretty bad condition. There were greasy fingerprints all over the film. Because this film is extremely valuable to me I am sad and worried. What, do you think, I should do?
QUESTION 1: Should I immediately try to get rid of those fingerprints because the longer they stay on the film, the more damage they will do to it and/or the harder it is to remove them later. Or it does not matter because once the fingerprints are there, a certain amount of damage has been done and removing them quicker or slower won't make a difference.
QUESTION 2: How to remove fingerprints (and other dirt) from film. Should I take my film to the expert (if yes, where?) or can I remove fingerprints at home? If yes, what chemicals and cloth would you use, or is there a kit for this purpose I could purchase?
QUESTION 3: How much influence does a greasy fingerprint on the film have on the picture quality (will it be obvious?)?
Sorry that I asked se many qustions but I really appreciate your help. Thank you very much in advance,
Tom
Answer Greetings Tom:
This is an unfortunate circumstance. First of all, you should file a complaint. You deserve a credit or at least an apology and free movie tickets--or something!
The fingerprints' oil is dangerous and should be removed ASAP. It will degrade the sharpness of your prints. You can purchase film cleaner at a Wolf, Ritz, Moto Photo, or your local independent camera shop. They will also provide the disposable cloth needed.
Place the film on a piece of the special cloth and gently wipe with the cleaner cloth and straight across the film, from one end to the other. Do this on both sides. Depending on how long the fingerprints have been on the film, it should only need one or more wipes.
Always use high-quality cotton gloves when handling film and prints. It prevents many, many problems that could occur when the pictures have contact with the prints.
I pray my suggestions can help. In the worst case, you can always hire a retoucher like myself to fix any severe problems.
