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Tip from the Archive: We sometimes receive comments from customers that a film is in focus
in the centre but not at the edges, or vice versa. This is often due to the film curling slightly and
the use of a wide aperture lens. All films age in a different way. Film stocks shrink and this is
usually apparent in a twist or in a longitudinal curl. To counteract this, most archives store their
films tight wound and inside out on lab cores. It's probably more convenient for a collector to
store his films tight wound inside out and end out on a reel. This can be done easily and quickly
on your re-winder. Remember to tape the end down securely. It only takes a few minutes to
rewind the film to head out, ready to project at your next screening and helps to preserve the
dimensional stability of the film stock.

Tip from the Archive: During summertime checks on our fleet of projectors, we identified one
machine with poor sound. If you detect your machine plays low frequency base notes well but
does not reproduce high frequency notes, the sound optics are probably either dirty or badly
adjusted. This is a job for the specialist for it requires special optical frequency test films to set it
up properly. Give Kevin Brown a call at KB Electronics on 0115 911 3125 or contact your local
engineer. It should not cost very much and the difference in sound quality is truly amazing!

Film Trivia: Are your films sub-standard? Well the answer is almost certainly, yes! In the film
industry, 35 mm is regarded as the Standard gauge, so it follows that anything smaller must be
sub-standard. However as the term sub-standard was increasingly accepted in the wider world as
not being up to standard or quality, one well established London film laboratory actually changed
its name. The Sub-Standard Film Company became Filmatic Laboratories. Rest assured, all of
the films in this catalogue are sub-standard!

Tip From The Archive: Most of us enjoy the convenience of self threading projectors. They
usually work but you must remember to trim the film end according to the manufacturers
instructions. Some cut through the perforation, some between the perforations, etc. On Bell &
Howell machines, cut the film just behind the perforation. Unless you trim the film correctly,
there is a danger that the film will not engage on the second sprocket correctly, resulting in an
incorrect bottom loop. This will likely damage the leader before hopefully, correcting itself.
Remember also to use good long leaders!
Tip from the Archive: We continue to receive enquiries about take up problems on projectors so
this is a timely reminder. Never forget the importance of using a proper take-up spool. The
take-up is failing and the film is loose wound. Old film tends to weave from side to side on the
take-up spool and plastic spools often spread so you end up with an egg shaped film and a 20 mm
wide spool! Use a heavy metal take-up spool, preferably one with a round centre hole on one side
to keep it steady on the machine. Keep several such spools to hand for take up use only. We
usually have a number of these available if required.

Tip from the Archive: In the course of checking films on the re-winder, we sometimes find that
near the end, the film is buckled or even creased at the centre of the spool. This happens only with
metal spools and is when the centre has been distorted with a screwdriver, or similar in an effort
to open up the slot. All too often, the result is that the centre hub becomes eccentric. This was
very apparent with one film when we found that half the spool centre hub was missing altogether!
There is nothing wrong with using metal spools but do check they are not bent or too wide and
that the centre is actually round.

Tip from the Archive: Collectors often ask how we judge a print to be good or otherwise. This
is our criteria based on experience: Opening Titles & End Credits complete - we note film stock

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