General FAQS

Where can I find technical information about your products?

We provide a comprehensive set of technical information to support all our products. Links to the technical information can be found on the product pages on the website.

Advice for Airport X-ray scanners: Film & papers

We are working with the DFT and Heathrow airport in the UK and will shortly be updating our information relating to the new CT type x-ray scanners being installed at major airports worldwide.

Based on our initial testing it is almost certain the new CT type x-ray scanners for cabin baggage will be deemed unsafe for any of our ILFORD and KENTMERE film products irrespective of ISO speed rating.

You must therefore ask for hand inspection of your films if the airport is using one of the new type scanners. We will be issuing more specific advice as we complete our testing and evaluation.

How to identify the CT type x-ray scanners

The following machines are currently on the market;

Smiths – CTIX

L3 – Clearscan

Rapiscan - 920CT / Connect CT

IDSS - Detect 1000

Nuctech - Kylin

Analogic Cobra

For airports without the new machines, the following advice is still relevant.

If you need to travel on aircraft with film, we recommend always taking your film in carry on cabin luggage. The X-ray scanners used to check hand luggage are safe for all but the highest speed films, so except for DELTA PROFESSIONAL 3200, this is our recommendation. It is also possible to request a hand inspection for films and most security staff will allow this (although this varies between airports and countries). For DELTA 3200 you should request a hand inspection or alternatively buy the film at your destination.

Please Note: We do not recommend taking any film in your checked hold luggage, the X-ray machines used for scanning hold luggage are more powerful than the hand luggage scanners and may cause fogging of your films.

What recommendations can you give for Paper/Film /Chemistry Storage - including freezing & defrosting?

Avoid keeping our products stored in warm, humid conditions. We expect paper to last for up to three years after purchasing depending on storage conditions and liquid chemistry for around two years.

It is possible to extend product life by keeping them cool and dry. Never freeze liquid chemicals, there are ingredients that will come out of solution and some may never re-dissolve.

Paper and film may either be refrigerated or frozen but should first be sealed in plastic bags for protection. Products should be allowed to return to room temperature before opening otherwise condensation will cause damage. Avoid repeated thawing and freezing of films.

Where can I find information on historical ILFORD products?

You can find out more about our history here.

www.photomemorabilia.co.uk is another useful resource for finding out about historical ILFORD products. This is an independently maintained website, and any questions regarding the information on this website should be directed to them.

Where can I find information about ILFORD products equivalent to my existing film, paper or chemicals?

Please see our products equivalent fact sheet

Can I use ILFORD products with other manufacturers film papers and chemicals?

You can, however, we cannot guarantee the results will be optimum as we have no control over other manufacturers products, performance and quality.

Where can I get my legacy ILFORD equipment repaired?

Unfortunately, we no longer carry spares or support equipment in any way. If you contact us then we will be able to provide details of the companies that are still servicing equipment

How do I adjust my processing time for different temperatures?

We give processing instructions in the fact sheets for each of our film and paper products. We also have a temperature compensation chart available for download.

How can I save water when washing my papers and films?

If you need to minimise water consumption when processing films and papers you can refer to this document