What went wrong?
There are water marks on my negatives
Faint rings, tide marks or streaks, often visible when the film is held at an angle and showing in scans.
Check this first
Do the marks wipe off with a soft cloth on the shiny (base) side?
Likely causes
- 1.
Hard water and no wetting agent
Common- How to tell
- Chalky rings or streaks, common in hard-water areas of the UK.
- Fix
- Use a final rinse in distilled or deionised water with a drop of wetting agent. Rewash marked film and dry it again.
Avoiding it next time
- Final rinse in distilled water with wetting agent.
- Hang film to dry without wiping it.
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 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
- There are small crescent-shaped marks on my film
- 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.