8mm Forum: black and white films, do they fade?

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Posted by Anthony Buhay (Member # 2874) on January 17, 2012, 12:25 PM:

i feel really dumb for asking such a simple question, but in all seriousness, will a black and white reel fade??

i am assuming the black would fade, but i have 5 different black and white films and they all still look great compared to my color prints.

thank you in advanced guys!

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on January 17, 2012, 12:45 PM:

The answer should be simple but it's not!

A great many Black and White films were printed on color stock, and ones like this gradually become Red and White and then Pink and White and eventually just White and White.

I started out in 1978 with two new Black and Whites which even then had a purplish tinge to them, and time hasn't been kind. I lucked out much later and found real Black and White prints of these same two: much, much better.

The Crimson Twins come out only when I'm feeling sentimental these days.

So the answer to your question is "It depends!"

(-Sorry!)

Posted by Joerg Polzfusz (Member # 602) on January 18, 2012, 07:56 AM:

Hi,

B&W film stocks normally don't fade the first 100years (or even longer) if stored properly. However acetate-based film stocks might be affected by the vinegar syndrome...
https://www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org/webfm_send/299
http://www.amianet.org/resources/guides/storage_standards.pdf

Jörg

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on January 18, 2012, 08:06 PM:

Following up Steve's point about b/w films on colour stock, the fading of course wouldn't apply (at least for about 75 years) to films printed on LPP or other low fade stocks. At least in the case of Super 8, the use of colour stocks for b/w films seemed to really take off around 1985, when there was a sharp increase in the price of b/w stock, causing it to quickly go from being considerably cheaper to being more expensive. So, as low fade stocks were already in use by then, I generally wouldn't worry about b/w Super 8 films on colour stock.

Posted by Anthony Buhay (Member # 2874) on January 20, 2012, 08:30 PM:

ahhh thank you guys!!!!!

I appreciate it! [Smile]

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