What went wrong?
There are small crescent-shaped marks on my film
Small dark or light half-moon shapes, like fingernail marks.
Check this first
Did the film buckle or get squeezed while you were loading the reel?
Likely causes
- 1.
Film kinked during reel loading
Common- How to tell
- Crescent-shaped marks, often near where the film was gripped or forced.
- Fix
- Handle film by the edges, and don't force it when it jams on the reel: back it out and start again.
Avoiding it next time
- Practise loading with a scrap roll.
- Make sure the reel is completely dry before loading.
Go deeper
Other negatives problems
- My film came back completely clear
- My film came back completely black
- My negatives are thin and weak
- My negatives are very dark and dense
- There are streaks or flares of light on my photos
- My negatives have uneven streaks or patches
- There are spots on my negatives
- There are water marks on my negatives
- There are long scratches along my film
- My black and white negatives have a pink or purple tint
- My negatives look milky or cloudy
- My negatives have a cracked, crazed pattern
- My colour photos have a strong colour cast
- The edges of my 120 frames are fogged
Last checked October 2026. Seen something different? Tell us.