Davis Cup Recorded on ScotchChrome™

The official photographic record of the last Davis Cup Final Tennis Tournament held in Dusseldorf, Germany in early December, was recorded on ScotchChrome slide film.

Klaus Molt, public relations manager of the Niederrhein Tennis Federation chose Scotch because "I believe the film provides excellent results, whatever the lighting, of sporting subjects involving fast action." During the three days Molt and his associates took well over 400 photographs, some at exposure index ISO 1600 (P2).

Exposure Index ISO	Process	Suggested First Developer Time
3200	Push P3	15 Minutes
1600	Push P1	12 Minutes
800	Push P1	9 Minutes
400	E-6 Process	6 Minutes

ScotchChrome 400 may be pushed to ISO 1600 with very good results and may be pushed to ISO 3200 with some loss in D-Max. Suggested first developer times for push processing are listed in the chart above.

If you have any questions concerning the processing of this or other 3M films, call the Technical Helpline at 800/233-8579.

Greensense Corner

Over the last year you may have noticed a change in the plastic cans and lids that package all 3M Photo Color Systems Division 35mm films. We have changed the composition of the plastic used from a clear polypropylene composite to a polyethylene material following a recent agreement between the major photographic manufacturers on material standards. The new material yields a white semi-opaque container. This plastic is the same type plastic that all major photographic manufacturers now use with one major difference, 3M does not put any fillers in the plastics thereby enabling the plastic to be recycled as pure high and low density polyethylene. 3M has also placed recycling symbols on both the film cans and lids. The "4" indicates to recyclers that the lid is Low Density Polyethylene and the "2" indicates that the can is High Density Polyethylene. Two different plastics are necessary to provide the tightly sealed, humidity controlled environment for the film. This ensures the stability of our high quality photographic films. We at 3M are committed to producing products in a manner which will have the least impact on the environment: this is another example. If you have any questions on recycling, or have any comments or suggestions, please call us at 800/233-8579.

Store Brand Film ID Chart

The Photo Color Systems Division of 3M manufactures and packages photographic film for several mass merchants, photographic outlets and other retailers. Included with this issue is a new "3M Color Film Identification Chart" which illustrates the logos found on the film boxes for the "Store Brand" or "Private Label" films manufactured by 3M. If you are unsure if a particular store brand of film you receive in your lab has been manufactured by 3M, please call our Technical Service Helpline and one of our technicians will assist you.

Your Question Answered:

What are Matte Beads and what are their purpose?

Matte Beads is a generic term for a number of compounds that are used as a dry lubricant on the surface of photographic films. It is incorporated into the emulsion side on the surface of the film when the film is coated during manufacture. Its purpose is to reduce emulsion-to-base friction as the film is wound into the cartridge during manufacture, as it is unwound and rewound in the camera and as it is unwound in the photofinishing process. During the film development process, the majority of the matte beads embedded in the film's surface are dissolved out or released from the emulsion. This material is dispersed in the various film processor chemicals and is then removed through normal overflow due to replenishment of those solutions.

While in solution, matte bead particles can form into clusters, and in some cases, attach themselves to the surface of some films during processing (typically to film types with permanent rather than soluble matte beads). Once the film is dried, the matte beads will appear as a white powdery substance on the surface of the film. If the film is printed, spots could appear on the prints from the matte beads on the film. Matte beads can also cause negatives to slip during the film advance stage during printing on high speed printers. 3M, with the introduction of the current ATG

line, changed its formulation to matte bead material which is soluble and therefore should not be susceptible to these types of problems.

If you are experiencing difficulties with matte bead formation on processed films, adopting the following procedures will reduce or eliminate the incidence of matte bead problems:

1) Check all the squeegees in the film processor on a regular basis and adjust or replace them as soon as necessary. Pay particular attention to the squeegees before and after the final stabilizer tank.

2) Replace the final stabilizer solution at least weekly. Stabilizer is very inexpensive and easy to change. Stabilizer in poor condition can be very costly in terms of film damage, additional labor and materials costs and in customer satisfaction. This "standard procedure" however, is one of the most neglected at many photofinishing facilities.

3) Evaluate the types and amounts of additives or agents, if any, that are adding to your stabilizer. And, make sure you are following both the stabilizer and additive manufacturer's mixing recommendations.

Still have problems? Call the Technical Service Helpline at 800/233-8579.

Confused About Color Theory?

3M Photo Color Systems Division
3M Center, Building 235-3C-23
St. Paul, MN 55144-1000

Copyright 1996 Imation. All rights reserved.