Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Base side/Emulsion side

This is topic Base side/Emulsion side in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 12-12-2003, 06:46 PM:

I'm having a difficult time remembering which is which.

Which side normally faces to the screen and which side normally faces to the lamphouse? (when running thru the projector, of course!)

Posted by Peter Mork (Member # 1336) on 12-12-2003, 06:50 PM:

Base towards the screen, emulsion towards the lamp. When you look at the film , the side that reads correctly left & right - that's the emulsion.

Posted by Liam Utley (Member # 1931) on 12-12-2003, 07:01 PM:

If i'm unsure, i scratch the film. If the scratch looks green, i know its emulsion, if its black, i know its the base.

ok... bad joke.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 12-12-2003, 07:35 PM:

Yes --- normal 35mm print orientation is emulsion toward the lamp, and base toward the lens. Analog soundtrack is outboard (towards you when you thread/lace the projector), and the image is upside-down in the gate ("heads towards heads").

In the camera, the negative emulsion faces the lens of the camera, so the image formed on the negative reads correctly through the base. A contact print reverses this orientation, so the image on a print reads correctly through the emulsion.

Here are links to information about film duplicating systems:

http://www.kodak.com/US/plugins/acrobat/en/motion/support/h1/H1_80-85.pdf

http://www.acvl.org/manual.htm

Please don't scratch the film to determine the emulsion side. Experienced eyes can see the slight difference in gloss between the two sides, and as the humidity gets low, the film will tend to have visible "positive" curl where it forms a U-shaped cup, with the emulsion inside the cup.

Posted by Liam Utley (Member # 1931) on 12-12-2003, 07:45 PM:

Yeah, it was a joke about scratching the film... [uhoh]

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 12-12-2003, 08:59 PM:

wet your lips and stuff the a non-critical section of the film in between them. Then remove the film from your lips. The emulsion side is the side that sticks to your lip.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 12-12-2003, 10:05 PM:

You can also breathe on the film and the side that fogs up is the base side. Unless, of course, the print has been rejuvenated, then both sides will fog.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 12-12-2003, 10:25 PM:

You can also reflect light off the film and determine the emulsion side by seeing the image "lines" much like an etching.

Scratching and/or licking the film or your chops to see which side is the "sticky" side are the least desirable ways. The licking method is commonly used in the darkroom with raw stock.

Adam, care to come over and see my etchings? [Razz]

>>> Phil

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 12-13-2003, 02:04 PM:

Lick the film. If your tongue feels like it's sticking and it tastes like a cross betwean old leather and liquid paper, then it's the emulsion side. If your tongue does not stick and it tastes like a poly/cotton blend shirt fresh out of the wash, then it's the base side. [Big Grin]

Oh, and if you notice that the film gets all "puffy" and "blotchy" where you licked and it won't come off, then that's the emulsion side, too.

If you filmguard your prints, it may be harder to tell using this method...

=TMP=

P.S. Anyone who takes this post seriously is a darn fool. I pity you.

Posted by Travis Hubrig (Member # 1745) on 12-14-2003, 12:59 AM:

I can't get the taste of film-guard out of my mouth...

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 12-14-2003, 03:17 AM:

One thing partially related:

Sound Track Towards You, Emulsion Side Up.

In that manner, the head is on your left, and tails is on your right. [Wink]

If you can remember that, you won't have to worry about installing a preview or a reel upside down. [thumbsup]

I learned that in the navy-issue MPO school in April of 1967.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 12-14-2003, 08:04 PM:

Phil Hill wrote:

quote:
You can also reflect light off the film and determine the emulsion side by seeing the image "lines" much like an etching.

The raised "relief image" was very easy to see on the old ECP "cold process" films (before ECP-2) and Kodachrome films. It is much more subtle on modern print films.