Amateur Photographer Magazine

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it's the anti-halation dye added to the back of the film intended to increase contrast by stopping light been reflected back from / by the substrate. In some films it forms a dark red cloud when combined with the thiosulphate in the fixer.

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Hmm - why does it not come off in the pre-soak (if you use one) or in the developer? I use a pre-soak (water with a couple of drops of wetting agent) and am quite used to seeing that being dirty grey when poured out. But the reason for the pre-soak is to ensure that the developer acts evenly without having to agitate too much, which can spoil the acutance properties of the soup.

Is there a bit of emulsion under a sticky label (used to attach the spool perhaps) which is only getting wet at the end of the process?

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