I have been struggling for awhile regarding the best method for storing my B&W negs. I use archival clear neg storage sheets. The problem is which format. The sheets that i have recently purchased are 7 rows of 6 negs each, good for a 36 exp roll....unfortunately you cant get all the images on a contact sheet when you print it.

Ideally I would like to keep one roll on one contact sheet and in one neg storage sheet.

Any ideas???...I know there is no 'best' way, but I am interested in ideas.

Thanks.

-- Jim McCullough (jmccull@icubed.com), February 06, 2000

Answers

I use the 7 rows x 6exp method of contact printing 35mm negs. I use a contact printer that does 6 stips of 6negs on a 10x8 sheet. If you pinch an extra exposure on a 36exp film that causes you a problem! However, I never roll 36 or more exp films, I prefer to stick to 24 - 30 exp rolls. This aleviates this 7th row problem! I contact print my 6x4.5 negs in the clearish archival sleeves but aren't convinced that this method is the best. Must compare it to doing it without the sleeve one day but they seem a bit soft to me.

As far as storage is concerned I buy folders that are wider than normal A4 style as the neg sleves hang out the opening of a std folder. I have to get these at a photo shop and although they are expensive compared to a normal folder, they are well worth it. Inside this I place a clear plastic envelope which holds the contact sheet and my database printout I keep on the films development, exposure details and printing details. Then comes the neg sleeve with the negs. I think I get about 35 films to a folder using this method.

-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@eisa.net.au), February 06, 2000.

I also use 6 or 7 strips of 6 each. For the contact sheet: a piece of 10x8 in 'landscape' format holds 6 strips (butted against the left hand edge). When I get a one, two or three extra exposures, they go in the vertical direction against the right side. After processing, I punch holes in the right-side. This means that in the darkroom, I can open the binder at a page, with the contacts on the left, and the negatives accessable on the right.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), February 06, 2000.

I think you are better off storing the negatives separate from the contact sheets, both in the plastic three-ring binder boxes available in different colors for about $10. I find myself spending time with contact sheets evaluating different frames and searching for particular images. I don't want the open-ended negative storage sheets exposed and moved around during this time. When I open a negative binder box I know exactly what I am after and the box is open very briefly. njb

-- Nacio Brown (njb@limn.net), February 06, 2000.

You can contact print the 7 row, 6 negs orthe 6 rows of 7 on a 8 1/2 x 11 paper. This is available from Kodak and Ilford and others.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), February 07, 2000.

I didn't arrive at this willingly, but I've decided the easiest thing to do is to shoot 35 frames per roll and use a 7 x 5 negative storage sheet. The sprocket holes and a slight bit of negative on strips one and seven lap over the ends of the paper, but there's plenty of room lengthwise, and I'm not having to stock an extra size of paper just for contact prints.

-- Brian Hinther (BrianH@sd314.k12.id.us), February 15, 2000.

Here's what I do:

I buy clear archival "pocket pages" for almost nothing at a store like Walmart, and I put both the contact sheets and negative printfiles (folded) in the pocket page together. This keeps the open ended negative pages protected, and at the same time, keeps them easily accessible with the contact sheets.

-- Jacob Morgan (guzwhyte@netscape.net), April 12, 2000.