What went wrong?
My black and white negatives have a pink or purple tint
The film base has a pink, magenta or purple tint rather than being clear or grey.
Check this first
Is the tint even and clear, or are the negatives milky or cloudy as well?
Likely causes
- 1.
Leftover sensitising dye
Common- How to tell
- An even pink or purple tint with clear, non-milky film. Common with T-grain films such as Delta and T-Max.
- Fix
- Usually harmless and doesn't affect scanning or printing much. A longer wash, or fresh fixer, removes most of it.
- 2.
Under-fixing
Occasional- How to tell
- The film is milky or cloudy as well as tinted.
- Fix
- Refix in fresh fixer, then wash again. See the milky negatives entry.
Avoiding it next time
- Use fresh fixer and fix for the full time, longer for T-grain films.
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 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.