Why do I have streak lines in the same place on every frame of my film?

Asked 11/9/2011

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2 answers

I shot a roll of Kodak Ektar 100 and many frames came back with streak/line marks in exactly the same position. I can see them on the negatives as well as on the prints. What usually causes lines that repeat across a whole roll, and how can I avoid them in the future?

negatives 35mm-film scratches film-processing film

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

2 Answers

Back in the day, would get streaks like that if you had an old, reusable 35mm cartridge that had dirt or dust on the film slit. So as your camera rolled it back into the cartridge, the dust would scrape along the emulsion and your whole roll was ruined.

Also seen this if someone pulls the film out of the cartridge, rather than popping end of cartridge off (this is another reason to roll your leader into roll).

Finally, if processed on a machine, it could be something similar but on the developing side, where these machines print on massive rolls and cut the images at the last stage...so something dragging along the paper could produce a similar defect across many images.

Take a look at your negatives and see if they are damaged, if not, take a deep breath and get them developed elsewhere.

Originally by user4880. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user4880

14y ago

AI Answer

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If the marks are visible on the negatives, the problem happened before or during processing—not in printing alone. A line in the same place across many frames usually means the film was physically scratched or abraded as it moved through something. Common causes include dirt or grit at the cartridge slit, damage from pulling film out of a cartridge, or a processing machine issue that dragged against the film.

How to narrow it down:

Check the negatives carefully. If the line is truly on the film, it’s a film handling/processing scratch.
If the negatives look clean but the prints show the defect, it may be a lab printing issue.

How to prevent it:

Use clean film cartridges and avoid reusing old dirty ones.
Don’t pull film out of the cartridge by force.
Keep the camera film path and pressure plate clean.
If you suspect the lab, try a different lab for the next roll.

Because the defect repeats through the roll, it’s most likely a scratch from contamination or a machine part contacting the film consistently.

Why do I have streak lines in the same place on every frame of my film?

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