Skip to main content

What went wrong?

There are blank or clear patches on my film

Negatives and slides

What you're seeing

Irregular clear or stained areas where part of a picture is missing or much lighter, sometimes with a curved edge. They show as dark blotches on a scan or print.

Check this first

Check this first

Are the patches irregular blotches, small perfect circles, or a straight band along one edge?

Likely causes, most common first

  1. 01

    Film touching itself on the reel

    Common
    How to tell
    Irregular clear or stained patches. Where two turns of film touch, developer can't flow, so that area develops little or not at all.
    Test it
    Load a scrap roll in daylight and look closely for places where the film jumped a groove or two turns touch.
    The fix
    Make sure the reel is completely dry, load slowly and back the film out and start again if it jams.

    Sources Ilford Photo (Harman Technology), Common Processing Problems; Ilford Photo, Ilford: Processing your first black & white film (information leaflet, Oct 2003)

  2. 02

    Air bells

    Common
    How to tell
    Small, round, lighter spots rather than irregular patches.
    Test it
    Tap the tank firmly on the bench after filling and after each agitation on the next roll; if the spots go, they were air bells.
    The fix
    See the spots on negatives entry.

    Source Kodak, Kodak D-76 Developer Technical Data

  3. 03

    Too little developer

    Occasional
    How to tell
    A straight lighter band along one edge rather than separate patches.
    Test it
    Check the volume against the tank maker's mark.
    The fix
    See the light band entry.

    Source Ilford Photo (Harman Technology), Common Processing Problems

Avoiding it next time

  • Practise loading reels with a scrap roll.
  • Load only completely dry reels.

Go deeper