Washi W 25 - 120

There's a new 25 ISO black & white film this year, a modern adaptation of one of the oldest photographic techniques: the paper negative or Calotype, invented William Henry Fox Talbot. By coating photosensitive emulsion onto a Japanese traditional paper, this clever French company has produced the Washi, a new original film with a unique pictorialist aesthetic look to it.

Fully handcrafted, easy to handle and develop, Washi Film is now available in conventional photographic formats: 120 and 4 x 5, 8x10 so now any monochrome photographer can discover this special film.

Being a paper negative you develop it in paper developer usually 1+1 dilution and you can reuse the solution for several rolls or sheets.

Being orthochromatic it is sensitive to the blue end of the spectrum while being relatively insensitive to the red. This means that Washi Film can be handled under a red safelight as with other film, but you must remember to rinse the film with cold clean water to ensure optimal conservation of the negative.

After processing, scan or print as a contact using your enlarger.

(NB If scanning, use a transparency scan setting, as normal print scanning exhibits an overexposed veil over the print).

Processing Technique:

Washi must be processed under safelight in open trays:

1. Unroll the film and then separate it from its protective paper
2. Fix a flat clamp at each end of the film to handle it safely
3. Dip the film completely in clear water to give it a flat shape
4. Immerse it in the developer until complete stabilization of the negative
5. Rinse the film in a tray of clear water, do not use stop bath
6. Gradually immerse the film in an ordinary bath fixer
7. Once the film soaked with fixer, hang it for 3-5 minutes
8. Rinse several times the film in a tray of clear water for at least 5-10 minutes.
9. Suspend the film and leave it to dry.
10. Once completely dry the film tends to curl, cut it into equal strips that you can place under a weight in order to flatten it.