How to Tell the Difference Between the Male and Female Side of Camera Film
- 1). Look at the film with a lupe or magnifying glass. A lupe is a small magnifier that you use right next to your eye with the film on a lighted surface. But in most cases you can identify the male and female sides with a regular magnifying glass. Whether the film has been exposed or not, you can tell the female from male sides of the film generally by looking. In fact, it is easier to tell which is which on unexposed film. The shiny side is the male side. It is the supporting structure of the film, but holds no chemicals. The duller side is female. This is where the emulsion or light-sensitive chemicals have been placed to receive the image.
- 2). Feel the film with your fingers, particularly if you are in the darkroom. The male side will feel glossy, while the female side will feel more like matte photo paper. It is possible to scratch the female side where the chemicals are, so be careful when touching it. Your fingerprints can get on the film from touching it, which is less of a problem on the male side. Finger oils can cause some small problems on the female side during development. If the fingerprint is too distinct, it may show up in the print. For this reason, only touch the film on the leader or end piece of the film. The female side will have emulsion on the entire length of the film.
- 3). Look for the numbers on the exposed and processed film. There usually will be a film code on the outside of the sprocket holes or, if there are no sprocket holes, along the extreme edge of the film. There also may be frame counter numbers along the opposite edge of the film. If the numbers and words appear backward, you are looking at the female side of the film. If they appear normal, you have the male side toward you.
