If humidity drops below the standard, what will occur during film processing?

• A. The films will become sticky and film handling becomes difficult.
• B. There will be no change in film quality.
• C. An increase in static marks on the film will result.
• D. The film density will decrease.

Answer: (C)

Low humidity creates dry air, so as film is moved or handled in the darkroom during processing, static electricity builds up on the film. When the charges discharge, they expose parts of the emulsion and produce static marks—those white or dark, branch-like patterns that are artifacts rather than true image data. This is the main way humidity affects film processing: it changes static electricity behavior, not the chemical development or the actual density of the image. So, under low humidity you see more static marks on the finished film. Maintaining the recommended humidity level or using anti-static measures helps prevent these artifacts.